Social
IARD welcomed the 100th member into its Global Standards Coalition (GSC) since the original launch in 2023. Signatories are putting in place policies and practices to prevent the sale and marketing of alcohol to those underage, supporting employees and partners with resources, and are working together to further reduce harmful drinking.
IARD marked the occasion with ‘Global Standards in Action’, a new report to showcase the extensive global prevention efforts of leaders across the beer, wine, and spirits categories.
In Mexico, AB InBev’s Corona brand sponsored the recent NASCAR Cup Series with its Corona Cero alcohol-free extension. The race, held last month, was the first NASCAR Cup Series event to be held in Mexico, allowing Corona Cero to reach a new audience of motorsport fans with its responsible drinking message, offering alternatives for those who want to enjoy themselves without excess.
Asahi launched a responsible drinking initiative at Royal Ascot week in the UK, partnering with the Government’s THINK! 0% campaign, which encourages motorists to always opt for a no-alcohol drink over a regular alcohol beverage if they’re driving. Asahi greeted attendees in Ascot’s car parks with reminders to always THINK! 0% when driving and gave away vouchers (below) for free bottles of Peroni 0.0%.
In Asia, Carlsberg’s #CelebrateResponsibly campaign was recently recognised at the PR Awards Asia Pacific after a successful year promoting responsible drinking across Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The brand owner partnered with leading e-commerce platforms for a range of activities, including messaging through e-commerce apps, and promoting no-alcohol beer as an alternative beverage with food deliveries.
Diageo took its The Magic of Moderate Drinking campaign to the streets of London in the UK to encourage consumers to drink more responsibly by trying no-alcohol drinks alternatives, and alternating their drinks with water. The company is running the initiative across the city this summer with ads on vehicles, billboards, and bus stops, and plans to visit Budapest in Hungary next.
In Rwanda, Heineken’s Bralirwa Brewery division is celebrating several years of significant responsible drinking campaigns, culminating in a road safety partnership with the Rwanda National Police. Bralirwa’s current Don’t Drink and Drive activation launched across national television, radio, billboards and on social media in 2022, encouraging the country’s motorists to always choose a designated driver or opt for no-alcohol drinks. Bralirwa is also partnering with the police for joint road safety events, engaging with distributors, partners, and its staff to promote responsible consumption and raise awareness.
Kirin has started holding responsible drinking seminars for female Food and Nutrition students in Kobe, Japan. In addition to underage drinking and drink-driving prevention, students are also being taught the importance of not forcing others to consume alcohol or leaving intoxicated people unattended. Students are encouraged to check their blood alcohol levels with patch tests to better understand how long it takes the body to break down drinks.
Environment
Staying in Japan, and Asahi has published its annual Sustainability Report for 2025, detailing its ESG efforts and progress over the last year. The group is accelerating progress towards its 2030 targets by expanding its global capabilities and partnering with multiple stakeholders, resulting in sustainability achievements such as a 35% reduction in scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions since 2019.
Asahi has also reported significant progress on its responsible drinking targets, having achieved 100% compliance with IARD’s Digital Guiding Principles, and displayed age restrictions on 100% of its packaging in 2024.
Carlsberg partnered with global nonprofit Water.org on a major new project in India to improve access to safe water and sanitation in communities across the Ganges River Basin. The project will help around 1.1m people across several states access 247m litres of water by 2028 while also engaging with communities to drive long-term behavioural change and local impact around water use.
In Sweden, Pernod Ricard conducted trials of a paper-based closure for its Absolut vodka brand. The closure complements Absolut’s 2023 launch of a paper-based bottle (below), and both were recently tested live by bartenders at a brand event, receiving feedback on their functionality, handling and general performance.
Over in South Korea, Pernod Ricard said its operations in the country have reduced the use of paper box packaging materials by 17.6 tons annually since 2022, as part of a wider global strategy to reduce carbon emissions and waste by 2030. Pernod is also working to reduce primary packaging materials, and has reduced the weight of glass bottles for its flagship Chivas Regal 18 blended scotch by 25%.
Back to Japan, and Suntory unveiled plans to become the first company in the country to engage with green hydrogen across the entire value chain. In the mid- to long-term, the Suntory Green Hydrogen Vision (below) will see Suntory utilising hydrogen in every area, in support of the country’s Government’s 2017 hydrogen strategy. From later this year, Suntory’s sites will begin to use hydrogen produced by the country’s largest 16-megawatt Model Power-to-Gas (P2G) System, constructed by Suntory and partners in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Phase 2 will begin in 2027, in which Suntory will start to engage across the entire green hydrogen value chain, from production to distribution and sales, both for local use in Yamanashi Prefecture and for wider distribution in Tokyo.
Governance
AB InBev’s OB Beer unit in South Korea has announced its latest round of scholarship donations for disadvantaged college students in Icheon and Gwangju City. OB donated around KRW23m (US$16,500) to fund the further education of students in the teo cities, bringing the total of its scholarship donations since 2003 to KTW1.3bn. As part of its local education funding activities, OB has also opened 11 Happy Libraries during this period, in remodeled local children’s centres across the country.
In the US, Molson Coors Beverage Co is expanding its Cheers to Our Hometown programme (below), a support and fundraising initiative that gives back to the communities where the brewer, its employees and partners live and work. Last year, the campaign raised around $500,000 in Milwaukee for the city’s parks, with ongoing work in the city expanding this summer with new projects in Golden and Chicago.
Molson Coors opened its Chicago fundraiser with a $100,000 starter donation, and has donated $50,000 in Golden to launch a fundraiser for Rocky Mountain water conservation in Colorado.
Finally, and on a more sombre note, Molson Coors delivered 50,000 cans of drinking water to help communities affected by the tragic flooding in Texas. The brewer has donated $25,000 to the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund and has encouraged others to join.
