No.14833

2025/6/30

• CSR

Suntory Group Launches Mizuiku - Education Program for Nature and Water in Australia

Download PDF

Tokyo, JAPAN (June 30, 2025) - Suntory Group today announced the launch of its unique next-generation environmental program, Suntory Mizuiku* - education program for nature and water, in Australia. This unique program is designed to educate children on the importance and value of water.

In partnership with environmental non-governmental organization Earthwatch Institute Australia (Earthwatch), Suntory's Mizuiku program will be offered to primary school students in Years 4, 5, and 6 in Ipswich, Queensland, and the surrounding areas, where Suntory’s Swanbank Beverage Facility is located. The program will focus on addressing local water challenges and promote water sustainability awareness through hands-on learning about the importance of water resources and water conservation, such as the basic principles of the water cycle and the relationship between water and biodiversity.

Mizuiku was first launched in Japan in 2004, more than 20 years ago. Since then, it has expanded globally to Vietnam, Thailand, France, China, Spain, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, with Australia being its ninth country. With programs tailored to local needs and context of each country, Mizuiku has been well-received by children, teachers, and local governments. In particular, a comprehensive cooperation agreement was signed with the Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam in December 2022, expanding the program nationwide. Suntory Group is also expanding its initiatives. Last autumn, the group hosted a study tour in Japan for Thai students and officials from Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training offering a firsthand experience of Mizuiku at its origin.

“We are delighted that diverse cultures around the world are embracing our unique Mizuiku program and accelerating its global expansion,” said Masaaki Fujiwara, Chief Sustainability Officer of Suntory Holdings. “Similar to the ‘Outdoor School of Forest and Water,’ a hands-on learning program that we started in Japan in 2004, the program we are launching in Australia urges students to understand the importance of water sustainability for their communities and ecosystems through learning experience in nature in their local communities. We hope that students who participate in the program will raise awareness about the importance of this valuable shared resource among their families and communities.”

Sophie Lodge, Corporate Affairs Director, Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania comments, “We are thrilled to partner with Earthwatch to bring Mizuiku to Queensland. Together, we'll empower the next generation of water champions in Ipswich and beyond. We're proud to extend our commitment to water conservation and sustainability to thousands of students in Queensland.”

Earthwatch CEO, Fiona Wilson, noted the strong synergies between Suntory’s Mizuiku and Earthwatch. “We are excited to collaborate with Suntory to bring Mizuiku to life in Australia. Our team has worked with Council to identify key environmental challenges that the Ipswich region faces - this program will aim to address these issues by empowering students to become water conservation advocates.”

As a multifaceted beverages company whose products rely on the gifts of nature such as water and agricultural products, Suntory Group promotes various water-related initiatives globally. These initiatives are based on the group-wide Sustainable Water Philosophy and include activities to preserve and restore nature. To date, Suntory Group has provided water education and access to safe water for over 1 million people through initiatives such as Mizuiku, and it aims to expand this effort to reach more than 5 million people by 2030. To ensure that water is passed on to future generations, Suntory Group will continue to implement its next-generation global environmental education programs tailored to the needs of each region.

Learn more about Suntory Group’s sustainability initiatives here.

* Mizuiku is a registered trademark of Suntory Holdings Limited. 

About Suntory Group
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group aims to inspire the brilliance of life, by creating rich experiences for people, in harmony with nature. Sustained by the gifts of nature and water, the Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products, from award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki and Hibiki, iconic American whiskies Jim Beam and Maker's Mark, canned ready-to-drink -196 (minus one-nine-six), The Premium Malt’s beer, Japanese wine Tomi, and the world-famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Oasis, BOSS coffee, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, and V energy drink, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania, with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.3 billion in 2024. Its 41,357 employees worldwide draw upon the unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.
For more information, visit www.suntory.com and Drink Smart.

About Suntory Oceania
By harnessing the best of Suntory from across Australia and New Zealand, Suntory Global Spirits and Suntory Beverage & Food are partnering to create a new multi-beverage powerhouse - Suntory Oceania. Underpinned by quality, craftsmanship, and a strong sense of purpose, the combined portfolio of over 40 market-leading brands will be powered by two local manufacturing sites, five distribution centres, and more than 1500 Suntorians.
Critical to the delivery of the One Suntory Vision is their new, carbon-neutral Swanbank Beverage Facility in Ipswich, Queensland. This new +$400 million, 17-hectare greenfield site is the largest single FMCG investment into Australia in the last decade.
Working alongside their portfolio production sites in New Zealand, North America, Europe, and Japan, full ownership of their supply chain allows them to respond with greater agility to market needs and expand their capability and capacity. The partnership will be operational from 1 July in Australia and 1 January, 2026 in New Zealand. For more information, visit www.suntoryoceania.com. 

About Earthwatch
Earthwatch Australia is a registered charity that has been empowering people for half a century to take action on critical environmental challenges. In 2024, Earthwatch reached a new milestone, with 2000+ new Australian species discovered to science through our Bush Blitz TeachLive expeditions, empowered communities across Queensland to actively monitor and steward 118,000 hectares of coastal wetlands and saltmarsh through our MangroveWatch program, worked alongside more than 120 Indigenous Rangers in the field, and upskilled more than 5000 people across the lifespan to become confident environmental champions.
Through science-community partnerships, education programs, and nation-scale citizen science, Earthwatch connects individuals, communities, and businesses with the experiences, knowledge, and tools needed to protect the natural world. Learn more about Earthwatch Australia at www.earthwatch.org.au on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.