Social
In Nigeria, AB InBev launched a road safety project with the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR), the country’s first ‘Fleet Safety Global Training Workshop’. The initiative builds on the group’s road safety projects in several countries and will help smaller transport fleets adopt the same road safety standards that larger operators use. Several UN agencies and local government representatives expressed interest in adopting the programme, which AB InBev will be expanding to other countries.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, AB InBev’s Brahma brand launched a novel responsible drinking initiative at the Barretos Cowboy Festival, an event it has partnered with for the last four decades.
Rising country singer Lorena Cristine partnered with virtual musicians Humberto Henrique and Osmar (HH&O) on the main stage to perform a new song about moderate drinking and the importance of hydration. The initiative was developed by AB InBev’s Smart Drinking Lab, which supports tech start-ups in the development of new responsible drinking projects.
Diageo concluded its ‘Magic of Moderate Drinking’ summer campaign in the UK and Hungary, which reached 23.3m people with outdoor ads around London and Budapest. The activation encouraged people to drink more responsibly by trying no-alcohol alternatives and alternating their drinks with water. It also reached over 33m on social media and another 4m with Spotify ads.
Staying in Hungary, Diageo was also present at the famous Sziget music festival this summer, continuing a longstanding responsible partnership. The brand owner’s DRINKiQ Oasis zone offered festival-goers an opportunity to rest and refill their water bottles in a relaxing space with educational materials.
In Namibia, Heineken’s Namibia Breweries (NBL) unit commenced a campaign to promote responsible drinking in the mining sector. The project is designed to equip miners to make informed decisions about responsible drinking, using a ‘train the trainer’ model to both build awareness and promote a healthier work environment in one of the country’s major economic sectors.
Over in the Dominican Republic, Pernod Ricard and the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) held an event for their ‘Autosobriety’ programme in partnership with the country’s National Institute of Transit & Land Transport. The group brought together national and international leaders with UNITAR to promote public-private road safety partnerships, through a day of keynote presentations, panel discussions and immersive workshop experiences that highlighted regional best practices and strengthened institutional capacities.
Drinkwise launched an International ‘Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day’ campaign in Australia to raise awareness about the importance of not drinking alcohol when planning a pregnancy or when pregnant, and that it’s safest not to drink alcohol when breastfeeding. Partnering with Indigenous leaders and seven-time Olympic medallist Libby Trickett, the activation reminded mothers, mothers-to-be and the people around them that FASD is 100% preventable by abstaining from alcohol when pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Environment
Asahi entered into a new agreement to purchase barley from farmers in Australia who will provide data on how sustainably their grain was produced. Grain growers will submit information relating to 21 ESG metrics about their crops, to provide shareholders, consumers and customers with more information on how their drinks are produced.
In Vietnam, Carlsberg inaugurated a new brewery expansion project in city of Hué, supporting both the brewer’s global ‘Together Towards ZERO and Beyond’ agenda and Vietnam’s national roadmap toward net-zero by 2050. The expanded Phu Bai brewery will consume 20% less water and 15% less energy in brewing than it did previously, and is on track to meet a variety of sustainability targets in the coming years, including net-zero emissions in production by 2028.
Lotte Chilsung announced plans to reduce its production carbon emissions in South Korea by 4,000 tons in 2025, as part of its commitment to achieve zero environmental impact. Four years ago, Lotte became the first South Korean food &beverage company to join the ‘Global RE100’ initiative to achieve 100% renewable energy, and is working to reach carbon neutrality by 2040.
Over in Japan, Suntory established a new company to offer businesses and local communities guidance on water conservation and help to secure reliable water supplies. Leveraging two decades of research from the Institute for Water Science, the new company, Water Scape, forms part of Suntory’s ‘Sustained by Nature and Water’ commitment to protect, responsibly use, and return water to nature.
Suntory also published data on its water sustainability progress in 2024, which included reducing production water usage by 30% compared to 2015, and providing safe water access to 1.75m people.
Governance
Asahi is in the process of commencing a three-year partnership in Australia to help food relief charities deliver meals to families in need, in rural Queensland. Asahi is investing over AUD1m (US$663,000) into the project, which will also bolster aid to farming communities before, during, and after natural disasters.
Finally, in Scotland, Diageo extended its ‘Learning for Life’ employment training programme for a further three years. The programme provides training to young people who have been struggling to find employment, helping to equip them with the requisite skills for careers in hospitality. More than 2,000 young people have received training since the program launched in 2014.
