Social
AB InBev completed the eighth edition of its Smart Drinking competition, which the brewer claims is the world’s largest social norms marketing training programme. The competition is designed to promote moderate drinking in ways that are engaging, impactful and grounded in consumer insights. There were around 100 submissions to the competition this year, through which around 600 marketing professionals have been trained.
AB InBev has invested sizably in the Smart Drinking programme since its inception in 2016, using social norms marketing to promote moderation alongside socialisation, such as with the group’s marketing activity around this year’s International Beer Day (below).
AB InBev, Diageo and Pernod Ricard were recognised in the Dominican Republic with transit agency INTRANT’s ‘National Road Safety Award’. The trio were among 13 companies that received awards for contributions to accident prevention and for promoting a national culture of safe driving.
AB InBev’s Cervecería Nacional Dominicana unit was singled out for its fleet management system and Safe Delivery platform, Diageo for its drink-driving prevention campaigns and Pernod Ricard for its road safety training.
In the US, Heineken expanded its ‘There’s No Such Thing As Fine to Drive’ road-safety campaign through a new partnership with the restaurant reservation service OpenTable. The project lets diners appoint a designated driver when they book a table, who then becomes eligible for a Heineken 0.0 gift card and a SafeRides.org discount voucher for future use.
Meanwhile, in Cambodia, the Asia Pacific International Spirits & Wines Alliance (APISWA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the country’s Ministry of Transport and other partners, establishing a framework for joint action on education, enforcement and evidence-based programmes to support national and UN road safety goals.
The chair of APISWA – and CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia Pacific – Ludovic Ledru, said: “We are fully committed to reducing drink-driving and promoting safer roads by bringing our long-term programmes, evidence-based campaigns and resources to support Cambodia’s efforts and help make safer choices the norm for every road user.”
Environment
Asahi signed up to contribute to the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) updated ‘Corporate Net-Zero Standard’ in Japan. Version 2.0 is SBTi’s most comprehensive framework for corporate climate action to date, with an expanded toolkit for setting and implementing targets that makes credible, science-based climate action practical, accessible and relevant for companies. As one of the pilot companies, Asahi has developed a case study for the renewed standard, highlighting its collaborations across the supply chain to reduce emissions, strengthen implementation and create long-term value for both society and business.
Bacardi signed a global agreement with sustainable packaging provider Ecospirits to expand the former’s use of circular packaging technology across cruise ships, tourist resorts and other hospitality venues around the world. The agreement builds on a successful collaboration in 2023, which saw Bacardi become the first distiller to introduce circular packaging in the cruise industry. The brand owner has since eliminated around 130,000 single-use glass bottles from high-volume cruise environments, and the expanded agreement creates a framework to explore future Ecospirits applications across additional brands, channels and sectors.
Carlsberg’s Saku Õlletehas unit in Estonia invested EUR2.5m (US$2.9m) to commission a biomass boiler, replacing the natural gas it previously used to generate heat for production. The new boiler will reduce the brewery’s production emissions by 95%, as part of Carlsberg’s recently updated ‘Brewing Tomorrow’ ESG strategy.
Heineken launched a regenerative farming programme in the UK as part of its global ‘Brew a Better World’ sustainability strategy. By 2027, almost half of the malted barley used by Heineken’s operations in the country will be grown using regenerative practices, through a partnership with malt and barley producers and agronomists. Farmers will be paid a direct premium on regenerative barley yields, to reduce the risk of changing farming practices, and to make the transition to regenerative agriculture practices at scale commercially viable.
Returning to Japan, and Kirin participated in an executive roundtable hosted by the Science Based Targets initiative and the World Wide Fund for Nature to discuss corporate net-zero efforts. Participants considered the challenges of further strengthening sustainability leadership in business and the barriers to scaling climate initiatives, in the context of the SBTi’s recently updated Corporate Net-Zero Standard.
Kirin recently became the first company in Asia Pacific to complete the verification of steps 1 and 2 of the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) framework. The first two steps involve evaluating a company’s environmental impact across its value chain and identifying the highest-risk locations that would benefit the most from setting environmental targets. Kirin will use the SBTN reporting to further strengthen its efforts to address environmental issues.
Still in Japan, Suntory announced that the ‘Suntory Fund for Bird Conservation’ charitable trust will start accepting grant applications for 2027 next month. The group has been involved in bird conservation since 1973, and to date the trust has granted over JPY700m (US$4.7m) to a total of 563 organisations.
Suntory also attended London Climate Action Week in the UK to promote the importance of investing in nature to curb the growing impact of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Suntory joined discussions on methods of scaling up environmental projects, presenting examples from its nature-positive initiatives on water source replenishment and sustainable agricultural sourcing.
Governance
Pernod Ricard held its annual ‘Responsib’All Day’ of global initiatives, when the brand owner’s staff stop work to contribute to projects in their local communities. Around 7,500 employees across 30 markets engaged in activities such as supporting vulnerable populations, boosting employment skills, volunteering with charities and protecting the environment.
Finally, and finishing off in Japan, Kirin announced the milestone of a 100% take-up of paternity leave in 2025, against a national average of 50.9%. In January, Kirin joined a UN Fair Work initiative that includes a commitment to achieving 100% uptake of at least one month of parental leave regardless of gender. The group said that the accomplishment reflects a fundamental shift in its organisational culture, where parental leave is considered natural and supported for everyone.
