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 January.
Environment
Anheuser-Busch InBev‘s division in China, Budweiser APAC, aims to achieve carbon-neutral status for its malt house in Jiangsu province by the end of this year. The unit already operates two carbon-neutral breweries in China, and is working with its suppliers to achieve two carbon targets: carbon peak before 2030 and nationwide carbon neutrality before 2040. Budweiser APAC’s malt supplier has already contracted 100% renewable energy and has achieved full biomass boiler steam.
In the US, Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel Distillery became one of the first distilleries in the country to be awarded the US Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘ENERGY STAR’ sustainability certification for superior energy performance. The facility was also recognised by IJGlobal’s 2023 Awards with a win for its recent biomass project.
In Lithuania, Carlsberg’s Švyturys-Utenos Alus announced an ‘Energy-as-a-Service’ power purchase agreement (PPA), the first of its kind in the Baltics region. The brewery has partnered with renewable energy company Green Genius to install an additional 3,500 solar panels on its roof for a total solar capacity of 1.5 megawatt with 2-megawatt battery storage. The next stage will involve a supplemental, off-site, 5-megawatt solar plant, also backed by battery storage. The brewery already sources 100% sustainable energy, and will generate all of its energy needs locally when the PPA project is completed
Diageo announced that it will invest in glass research and technology organisation Glass Futures, enabling the latter to expand its activities into North America and India. The partnership will work to accelerate both the decarbonisation of the glass industry internationally and a circular economy across the entire packaging supply chain.
Diageo is also exploring the viability of reusable packaging and distribution as an alternative to spirits bottles for the on-premise channel through its partnership with Ecospirits. Over the next three years, the brand owner will roll out Gordon’s gin, Captain Morgan rum and Smirnoff vodka in refillable 4.5-litre vessels across 18 markets: each container would replace 900 traditional bottles as they can be refilled 150 times.
Heineken has lined up a global partnership with technology giant Siemens on a multi-phase decarbonisation programme, aiming for reduced energy use and a 50% CO₂ reduction at 15 of its breweries and malt houses by 2025. This part of Heineken’s global ‘Net Zero Production’ roadmap, which aims to reach net zero in Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and net zero across the full value chain by 2040, will see Siemens provide performance and monitoring for the next five years to ensure project optimisation.
In Japan, Kirin announced that all its breweries and business premises will switch to 100% renewable energy from the beginning of this year. Kirin has gradually been transitioning to renewable energy since 2020, and the latest switch at its production and sales premises will bring the proportion of renewable energy in the company’s overall energy usage up to 66%. Kirin’s next target is to replace all electricity used in its operations with renewable energy, thereby achieving RE100 certification.
And in France, Pernod Ricard held the second ‘Good Spirits’ event at its Paris headquarters, hosting environmental experts and representatives of international organisations for a series of panel discussions on topics such as sustainability, biodiversity and regeneration. The brand owner hopes to roll out the Good Spirits events worldwide.
Social
In South Africa, AB InBev’s South African Breweries (SAB) conducted a festive period responsible drinking campaign, ‘#NoneForTheRoad’. The unit’s ongoing ‘Drive Sharp’ programme is a longstanding partnership with law enforcement agencies nationwide, in which SAB provides mobile alcohol evidence centres (AECs) for police use and helps support road safety. Over the festive season, SAB deployed four new AECs.
Diageo’s division in Tanzania, Serengeti Breweries Limited launched an initiative promoting responsible drinking and moderate consumption habits as a key part of reducing the country’s high road traffic mortality rate. SBL plans to spread the multi-platform ‘Inawezekana’ activity nationwide. Diageo’s Uganda Breweries also ran a drink-driving prevention campaign over the festive season as part of its decade-long ‘Red Card – Zero Tolerance to Drink Driving’ responsibility initiative.
In Nigeria, Heineken’s Nigerian Breweries launched a nationwide activation to educate women on the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The ‘Mission Nine Zero’ campaign encourages pregnant women to choose alcohol-free alternatives, such as malt drinks, to address relatively high levels of drinking during pregnancy in the country’s regions.
Molson Coors Beverage Co collaborated with public transit systems in seven US cities for its ‘Free Rides’ initiative, providing free transport on New Year’s Eve, making it easier for revellers to obtain responsible transportation on a night notorious for drink-driving.
And in Nigeria, Pernod Ricard launched its latest ‘Safe Roads’ campaign with the Federal Road Safety Commission, which started in 2021. This year’s round targeted commercial drivers through initiatives including a radio campaign with catchy jingles.
Governance
Asahi, Kirin, and Suntory contributed to relief efforts in Japan for those affected by the earthquake in Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture. The brewers pledged sizable financial donations and collectively donated over 750,000 bottles of water to assist in the recovery of the affected areas.
Finally, and staying in Japan, Suntory launched the ‘Suntory Women Leadership Accelerator’ programme, aimed at empowering women leaders to drive organisational transformation from within. The three-month programme offers experiential and immersive learning, networking, peer coaching and executive sponsorship, Following the success of the first iteration last year, Suntory’s work to foster gender equity continues with new cohorts in Europe and APAC in 2024.
