From October 15 to 16, the EFQM Sustainable Performance Conference and the 2025 Global Award Ceremony were held in Spain. Wuliangye earned the highest score ever achieved by a Chinese company in the history of the award, receiving the prestigious 2025 EFQM Global Award with the highest-level “Seven Diamonds” certification. In addition, the company was honored with the Special Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Aligning Corporate Performance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
These accolades mark a significant recognition of Wuliangye’s excellence in performance management and sustainable development, establishing the company as a benchmark for global sustainable performance among Chinese enterprises.
Established in October 1991 by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) in collaboration with the European Commission and the European Organization for Quality, the EFQM Global Award is recognized as one of the world’s three most prestigious quality awards—alongside Japan’s Deming Prize and the United States’ Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
The award is based on a globally recognized performance excellence framework and has been presented annually since 1992. It aims to support organizations in managing transformation effectively and achieving sustained performance improvement. Honoring outstanding organizations worldwide, the EFQM Global Award represents one of the highest accolades in the field of quality management.
The EFQM Global Award is structured across five levels, from Three Diamonds to Seven Diamonds. Wuliangye’s achievement of the Seven Diamonds certification represents the highest level of recognition within the EFQM Excellence Recognition framework.
According to EFQM CEO Russell, more than 200 companies worldwide participated in this year’s evaluation process. In the end, only 14 organizations were recognized for their outstanding performance, hailing from countries including Türkiye, Spain, China, Singapore, Mexico, Greece, Colombia, India, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. These organizations exemplify the highest standards of management excellence globally.
Notably, Wuliangye is the only company to date to have achieved such a remarkable result within just one year of implementing the EFQM Model and its RADAR logic—an exceptional accomplishment that underscores the company’s rapid and effective adoption of global best practices.
Since the 1980s, Wuliangye has been an industry pioneer in implementing Total Quality Management (TQM). Guided by its core strategy of “Quality as the Foundation, Craftsmanship in Brewing,” the company has deeply embedded quality management principles into its overall strategy and every aspect of operations. Wuliangye remains the only distillery to have won China’s highest honor in quality management five times.
In their evaluation report, the EFQM assessment team commended Wuliangye for its excellence in several key areas: fostering a corporate culture rooted in the philosophy of harmony and beauty; leading national efforts in ecosystem development; ensuring strong alignment between strategy and performance indicators; achieving a balance between tradition and innovation; and driving large-scale development with a strong ESG orientation. These achievements were recognized as exemplary and highly valuable for industry benchmarking.
The EFQM Model has provided Wuliangye with more than just recognition—it has offered a clear mindset, a structured code of action, and a pathway for continuous improvement.
As an industry leader, Wuliangye has built a distinctive operational and cultural system rooted in its “Harmony and Beauty” philosophy. This system is characterized by exemplary leadership from the Chairman and executive team, employee well-being and inclusiveness, and a rich historical legacy. These qualities have become defining features of the company’s identity and way of operating.
In recent years, Wuliangye has placed sustainable development at the core of its strategy, becoming the first in the industry to propose the creation of a “zero-carbon distillery.” The company is deeply committed to integrating ESG principles and carbon neutrality goals across the entire value chain—from raw material sourcing to distributor logistics—embedding sustainability into every link. Wuliangye has taken the lead within its ecosystem by initiating practices aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), setting a paradigm for sustainability across the industry and broader value networks.
Beyond its own efforts in wastewater treatment, biomass power generation, soil protection, and corporate social responsibility, Wuliangye actively promotes zero-carbon awareness and ESG consciousness among its suppliers—demonstrating outstanding industry leadership. The company is not only a proactive participant in national policy initiatives but also a benchmark setter and advocate for more rigorous sustainability standards.
Industry experts believe that Wuliangye’s attainment of the “Seven Diamonds” EFQM Global Award exemplifies how Chinese baijiu enterprises can contribute wisdom to the global pursuit of sustainable excellence. It showcases the ability and leadership of Chinese companies in shaping the global sustainability agenda, and it supports the baijiu industry in raising quality standards and moving up the global value chain through industrial upgrading.
Looking ahead, Wuliangye will continue to uphold its quality philosophy of “Quality as the Foundation, Craftsmanship in Brewing,” driving management innovation and industrial transformation through global excellence standards. The company is committed to showcasing the excellence and social responsibility of Chinese national brands on the world stage, leading the Chinese baijiu industry toward a higher-quality, more sustainable future.