Social
Bacardi, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Moët Hennessy and Pernod Ricard were among the first members of the Philippines Standards Coalition, a new partnership between alcohol brand owners and e-commerce platforms. The coalition has been established to curb harmful drinking by setting new voluntary standards for responsible marketing and sales practices to prevent the marketing and sale of alcohol to underage youth and other vulnerable groups.
Anheuser-Busch InBev’s South African Breweries (SAB) division launched a drink-driving prevention programme in South Africa with a focus on younger drivers. The ‘Drive Sharp’ campaign operates on several levels, from using social media to showcasing short documentaries featuring drink-driving victims and their families, alongside SAB’s ongoing partnerships with law enforcement agencies and funding for police Alcohol Evidence Centres.
AB InBev’s OB Beer unit in South Korea, meanwhile, debuted a raft of responsible drinking campaigns, including annual anti drink-driving activities with the Korea Road Traffic Authority and a new ‘Your Majesty November’ underage-drinking prevention campaign. The subsidiary also participated in the group’s ‘Global Beer Responsible Day’ last month with several activations to promote its alcohol-free beer portfolio as a responsible drinking option.
In Uganda, Diageo’s Uganda Breweries Ltd has been promoting moderate drinking at major events including the recent Nyege Nyege Festival and Bell Obafest. UBL set up responsible drinking zones at the festivals as part of the group’s ten-year ‘Spirit of Progress’ action plan, engaging attendees with trivia sessions, karaoke challenges and other interactive events to reinforce the importance of moderation.
Molson Coors Beverage Co’s Bergenbier has kicked off a responsible drinking campaign in Romania to encourage consumers to adopt a balanced and conscious lifestyle. The #TraiesteResponsabil project began with a podcast discussion (below) with writer & psychologist Petronela Rotar. Bergenbier is backing its promotion of moderation and healthy choices through social media platforms.
Pernod Ricard has relaunched its ‘Drink More Water’ responsible drinking platform in Nigeria following its debut in the market in 2021. The campaign uses bold messaging and complimentary water at events to raise awareness of the issue of binge drinking among young people.
In Japan, Suntory unveiled its ‘Drink Smile’ responsible drinking initiative. The brand owner will hold seminars nationwide between 2025 and 2030, aiming to reach 200,000 people to communicate the importance of responsible drinking culture in society. Suntory will also strengthen its global responsible drinking activities during the same period, with the aim of delivering a moderation message to 1bn consumers worldwide over the next six years.
Environment
Bacardi, Carlsberg, The Coca-Cola Co, Diageo, Heineken, Molson Coors and Pernod Ricard all signed up to a new initiative to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy within global supply chains. The REfresh Alliance will connect participants with renewables providers, helping suppliers to accelerate their adoption of renewable energy and provide cost effective and targeted solutions across the sector.
Asahi partnered with the United Nations’ World Intellectual Property Organization’s WIPO GREEN online database and network, which fosters and enhances the innovation and spread of green technology. The Japan-headquartered group will expand the use of its technologies and innovations through the collaboration, as part of its plan to achieve net zero by 2040. Asahi has also opened applications to join its ‘Sustainability Growth Platform’, inviting start-ups and scale-ups around the world to partner on the creation of new environmental solutions in seven key areas.
Bacardi supported the tenth edition of the Puerto Rico Bat Festival, in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Bat Conservation Program. At the same time, the company installed an acoustic monitoring system at its Casa Bacardi headquarters to identify the bat species that inhabit the area, and has adapted surrounding spaces to encourage the growth of the native bat population.
In the US, Brown-Forman partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ‘Energy Star’ programme, underscoring its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. The brand owner has pledged to continuously enhance the energy efficiency of its businesses, reduce its carbon footprint and further its commitment to climate action.
Carlsberg started to brew its first beer made with regeneratively grown raw materials in Denmark, as part of the company’s ‘Together Towards ZERO and Beyond’ sustainability strategy. Through agreements to purchase domestic malt barley grown according to regenerative principles, Carlsberg will produce limited quantities of a special edition beer for release in 2025, while gradually transitioning to producing Carlsberg Pilsner with 100% regeneratively-grown raw materials. By 2040, all of the group’s global production will use 100% regenerative raw materials.
In South Korea, Lotte Chilsung joined the World Wildlife Fund in a roundtable to discuss environmental issues caused by plastic, after joining the organisation’s Plastic ACTion in September. Lotte Chilsung has set a voluntary target of reducing its plastic usage by 20% by 2030.
Moët Hennessy’s Glenmorangie has been celebrating ten years of its ‘Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project’ in Scotland by restoring its 100,000th oyster to the Dornoch Firth, near the brand’s distillery. The initiative is restoring an extinct oyster reef to the firth and Glenmorangie plans to place millions more in the years to come.
Governance
Carlsberg launched the 21st edition of its long-running scholarship programme in China for students from underprivileged backgrounds, which has so far supported 1,886 students to pursue higher education. The brewer has expanded the number of available scholarships this year and is offering students a chance to participate in its work-study programme, potentially securing employment with the company after graduation.
For the third consecutive year, Kirin was recognised with ‘Gold Certification’ by the PRIDE Index in Japan. The PRIDE Index is the country’s first evaluation scheme to support the promotion and establishment of LGBTQ+ diversity management in companies and other organisations. Kirin met the criteria for all five of the index’s evaluation indices this year, through its continued work to promote basic knowledge and correct understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.
Finally, in France, Pernod Ricard continued to invest in a worker safety programme at its vineyards, launched in 2019 towards achieving zero absences caused by workplace accidents by 2025. Through regular safety meetings with staff and continued investment in new safety equipment, the company’s Martell vineyard in Cognac has reported only a single accident-related absence since 2019.
