The EU’s private sector has been actively contributing to solutions to the Covid crisis in partner countries, alongside the Team EU public response. Beyond financial contributions to local pandemic funds or other types of financial donations, it has undertaken a wide range of initiatives for the supply of medical and protection equipment and other health solutions.
French company Pernod Ricard is the world’s second largest producer of wines and spirits. It is a UN Global Compact LEAD company and has been recognised for its strong commitment to sustainable development.
Pernod Ricard and its affiliates have engaged in a wide range of initiatives to support many partner countries in their efforts to fight Covid-19.
For example, the company has promoted “stay at home” messages and responsible consumption during lockdown in countries around the world, and has donated medical equipment – including ventilators, intensive care beds and nearly half a million masks.
It has been helping bar industry partners in different countries ease their cash flow problems. In Ghana, it has partnered with the Ghana Bartenders Guild to provide out-of-work bartenders with funds to cover their living expenses during the lockdown.
It has distilled and provided over 3.5 million litres of pure alcohol to make up for the international shortage in countries like Ghana and Mexico. And it has repurposed some facilities to manufacture a million litres of hand sanitiser globally, in countries like Brazil, South Africa, Myanmar, Argentina – and, above all, India.
Hand sanitisers for healthcare in India: supporting personal and public hygiene
The Government of India has deemed all Covid-19 related measures to be part of the corporate social responsibility imperative for businesses in India. For its part, Pernod Ricard India has pledged nearly €1.8 billion and has taken part in public-private and private-non-profit partnerships to support the country’s healthcare efforts in the fight against COVID-19.
In India as in other countries, the run-up to lockdown saw many people engaging in panic buying. As a result, many parts of the country have reported erratic supplies and price hikes affecting many items. To help ensure that quality protective items are available and affordable for those who need them most, in 17 states across India Pernod Ricard has directly provided more than 400 000 litres of alcohol-based sanitiser to local communities, to the police and military, and to key workers such as health department employees and truck drivers.
In helping fill the gap in supplies of preventive solutions and critical care equipment, Pernod Ricard India is seeking to do its bit to keep India’s people safe and healthy in this unprecedented situation.