Not-for-profit organisation the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking rounds up the latest ESG-related efforts from its brand-owner members.
Here’s what they’ve been up to in December.
Environmental
Anheuser-Busch InBev partnered with EDF Renewables in Germany to install battery solutions at four of its breweries for decentralised electricity storage. The brewer’s division in the country has signed a ten-year contract with EDF to supply the systems, which will significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of its breweries.
In Japan, Asahi installed PPA solar power generation equipment at two of its breweries, increasing the group’s renewable energy usage rate nationwide by 38%.
Asahi and The Coca-Cola Co opened an AUD50m (US$33.8m) recycling facility in Australia, capable of recycling the equivalent of 1bn 60cl PET bottles per year. The plant has been opened to coincide with the start of a new Container Deposit Scheme in Victoria.
Bacardi ran a trial of a new furnace in Bermuda, completing the world’s first commercial production of glass bottles for spirits, fuelled by hydrogen. During the trial, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions were down 30%, and Bacardi hopes the data gathered will create a hydrogen-fuelled glass production blueprint for other stakeholders to follow.
In India, Carlsberg has kicked off a tie-up with WaterAid on a three-year water replenishment project in Mysuru. The initiative will impact more than 34,000 people by addressing the scarcity of water in the region, while the global partnership will focus on a holistic approach to sustainable water management.
Diageo’s unit in Tanzania, Serengeti Breweries Limited, signed an MOU with the United Nations Global Compact, joining the league of companies worldwide that collaborate with the UN to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sustainability projects. SBL has already undertaken a series of community programmes nationwide under the group’s ‘Society 2030 Spirit of Progress’ action plan, including 25 clean water projects that have benefited around 2m people.
Heineken achieved the highest award for water resilience at the UN Global Compact Network’s sustainability awards for Brunei and Malaysia. The brewer was recognised for exceptional leadership through its ‘Towards Healthy Watersheds’ programme, which is part of its global ‘Brew A Better World. sustainability strategy.
In Japan, Kirin was awarded the highest rank for SDGs management for the fifth consecutive year in Nikkei newspaper’s annual survey that evaluates Japanese companies’ efforts to contribute to the UN SDGs. Kirin’s ‘2027 Creating Shared Value’ strategy details the brewer’s ESG plans and contributions towards the SDGs.
Elsewhere, Kirin developed new PET recycling technology to reduce environmental impacts and recycling costs, while also donating a portion of its sales this Autumn to support Sado City’s efforts to register a 17th Century gold mine as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Moët Hennessy recently participated in its parent company LVMH’s ‘Life 360’ event at UNESCO headquarters in France to discuss the importance of preserving soil health. Protecting soils is a key aspect of Moët Hennessy’s ‘Living Soils, Living Together’ global sustainability project, which brings together international experts, scientists, suppliers and other alcohol producers. The company is preparing for the next edition of its ‘World Living Soils Forum’ in October next year.
Over in Bulgaria, Pernod Ricard was among the partners launching a new scientific research programme on biodiversity certificates, with the aim of drawing up a standard methodology for evaluating the impact of biodiversity initiatives carried out or financed by private stakeholders. The research will take place primarily in “temperate agriculture” and “temperate forest” ecosystems before expanding to the “tropical forest”.
Social
In Colombia, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Bavaria Brewery launched a new social norms marketing campaign in partnership with the RCN TV network. The ‘Act Well’ smart drinking activation rewrites scenes from famous soap operas where harmful drinking had caused terrible consequences, instead showing how responsible consumption would have led the characters to better outcomes. The first video had 500,000 views on YouTube within a week.
In India, Carlsberg partnered with Gurugram Traffic Police for the ‘Cheers to Responsibility’ community engagement project. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the dangers of drink-driving through a programme of public events including flash mobs, street plays, puppet shows, plus a campaign video.
Diageo launched a worldwide responsibility campaign for the festive season. ‘The Magic of Moderate Drinking presents moderate drinking as an aspirational choice that can take many forms such as choosing non-alcoholic drinks, spacing drinks with food or water, and measuring units. The brand owner is backing the activation through social media and out-of-home advertising channels and on a new, positive-drinking page with DRINKiQ resources on its website.
In Jamaica, Heineken’s Red Stripe brand held its fourth ‘Responsibility Now!’ town hall meeting, with the theme ‘Beyond the Tagline: Unpacking Responsible Consumption’. Panelists discussed the challenges facing the promotion of the responsible consumption of alcohol in different contexts, as well as sharing best-practice prevention and treatment strategies, services and solutions.
Governance
In the US, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation recognised Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Molson Coors Beverage Co and Pernod Ricard with maximum scores on its annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The national benchmarking tool recognises employers who implement comprehensive policies, benefits, and practices that ensure greater equity for LGBTQ+ workers and their families.
Bacardi was placed in Fortune magazine and Great Place To Work’s ranking of the ’25 World’s Best Workplaces’, which looks at how major global companies treat their employees. The company was recognised for “creating globally exceptional employee experiences, high-trust relationships, and workplaces that are fair and equal for all“.
Moët Hennessy’s Glenmorangie brand announced its support for OurWhisky Foundation’s ‘Modern Face of Whisky’ diversity campaign, which counters the outdated masculine stereotypes portrayed in traditional whisky imagery with a wider selection of images of whisky consumers.
Finally, in the US, Molson Coors invested US$50,000 in the National Black Brewers Association to support its mission of making the brewing industry more equitable. The donation will provide essential tools, education and resources for emerging and established Black brewers nationwide.
Head here for more details on the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.
