FIJI® Water Announces Membership in 1% for the Planet

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FIJI^® Water announced today that it is joining 1% for the Planet, a global alliance of more than 1,100 companies who pledge 1% of their annual sales directly to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. FIJI Water will join 1% under the umbrella of its parent company, Roll International, for 2009, with two additional Roll brands joining in January 2010. The combined revenues of its three brands will make Roll International one of the organization’s largest member companies in terms of annual donations dedicated to helping the environment. FIJI Water will be the only premium artesian bottled water company and one of the alliance’s top five brand members based on its annual revenue and dedicated funds to environmental causes.

“The organization provides us with a transparent and verifiable gold standard for our corporate philanthropy efforts, and we hope to become a recognized leader and a powerful force for change among others in the global beverage industry.”

“Becoming a member of 1% for the Planet underscores our deep commitment to sustainability and to preserving our unique Fiji environment,” said John Cochran, President of FIJI Water. “The organization provides us with a transparent and verifiable gold standard for our corporate philanthropy efforts, and we hope to become a recognized leader and a powerful force for change among others in the global beverage industry."

“We are very happy to welcome Roll International and FIJI Water to the 1% movement,” said Terry Kellogg, CEO of 1% for the Planet. “The company and its owners have a long-standing commitment to corporate philanthropy and the environment, and their membership will help us bring awareness of the 1% movement to a broader audience.”

FIJI Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide.

The decision to join 1% for the Planet is part of FIJI Water’s ongoing effort to help preserve and protect the environment. FIJI is also the only major bottled water brand to make its entire carbon footprint transparent on its website and was the first privately owned company to report its carbon emissions to the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration. ICF International, a global leader in analyzing emissions inventories and providing advice on climate strategy, independently reviews and verifies FIJI Water’s carbon footprint annually. And in November 2007, FIJI Water announced that it would become the first carbon-negative bottled water brand in the world, by offsetting its annual carbon emissions by 120%.

As part of that commitment, FIJI Water joined forces with the people of Fiji and Conservation International, a leading conservation organization, in spearheading a major reforestation project in Fiji. The Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project is Fiji’s first community-owned forest carbon project and is intended to restore degraded grasslands and abandoned sugar cane farms by replacing them with a mix of native species, fruit and spice trees, and timber such as mahogany and teak. Planting of the first 250 acres of the project began in October 2009, and another 1,000 acres will be planted over the coming years to meet FIJI Water’s ongoing carbon-negative commitment. FIJI Water is investing at least $3 million USD in the forest restoration projects.

In addition to FIJI’s reforestation efforts, the company is also working to preserve and protect the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific. Partnering again with Conservation International, FIJI Water has pledged $5 million USD to support this extensive conservation work and endow a trust fund that protects in perpetuity more than 50,000 acres of pristine rainforest. The endowment aims to compensate landowners and offset concessions made to logging companies who harvest timber from the Sovi Basin. The ecological benefits are vast and multifaceted: the Sovi Basin is one of only 34 such unique biodiversity hotspots around the world, hosting over 3,300 unique and often endangered species, which will now be protected; important watersheds will be safeguarded in the region, improving water availability and quality for local communities; and significant amounts of carbon will be sequestered by eliminating logging activities and halting further degradation. A video highlight of the Sovi Basin is available at http://www.youtube.com/fijiwatercompany#p/u/4/USRWBIV3U7g.

Through a partnership with the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation, FIJI Water has also committed to providing technical support and funding necessary to provide the delivery of safe and clean water to 100 Fiji communities each year. To date, the company has supported projects in 13 of Fiji’s 14 provinces and helped to deliver clean water to more than 30,000 people in need. With FIJI Water’s continued commitment to fund at least 100 new projects each year, hundreds of thousands of Fijians in some of the poorest parts of the country will soon benefit from the company’s efforts. Video highlights of FIJI’s water projects are available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4x6d619EA.

About 1% for the Planet:

1% for the Planet is a global alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their sales directly to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. To date, its 1,100+ members spread across 38 different countries have donated more than $50M to environmental causes.

Membership in 1% is diverse. It includes icons of the socially responsible business world like Patagonia, Clif Bar and New Belgium Brewing. It also includes publicly traded companies such as Volcom and Diageo.

For more information, please visit: http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/aboutus/

About FIJI Water

FIJI^® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide. A product of one of the last virgin ecosystems on the planet, FIJI Water is forced by natural pressure out of its aquifer deep below the earth’s surface and into iconic square bottles through a sealed delivery system free of human contact. FIJI Water’s unique mineral profile lends to its refreshing taste and soft mouth-feel that have made it a favorite among top chefs and the winner of taste tests by Chicago Magazine, Cook’s Illustrated Buying Guide, Men’s Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray and others.

The company is committed to sustainable development and is the primary driver of economic development and social welfare in Fiji. FIJI Water reinvests substantial resources to expand access to clean, safe drinking water and to provide quality education and health care for the people in Fiji. As the first net carbon-negative product in its industry, FIJI Water is reducing carbon emissions across the product’s entire lifecycle and offsetting at least 120% of remaining emissions through a rainforest restoration project in the Fiji Islands. FIJI Water has also partnered with Conservation International and the people of Fiji to protect and preserve the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific.

FIJI Water is widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels including grocery and convenience, and through an innovative home delivery program. Following the success of the flagship U.S. business, FIJI Water has expanded to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, please visit www.fijiwater.com.

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