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 were up to in March.
Social
In the UK, Diageo debuted an influencer-led campaign on the dangers of underage drinking, based on research commissioned by Community Alcohol Partnerships. The six-week activation highlights parents’ role in preventing underage drinking, and directs viewers to the group’s DRINKiQ website for further support.
Diageo’s Captain Morgan brand launched ‘Enjoy Slow’, a moderate drinking campaign in the UK and South Africa, to encourage consumers to drink at their own pace. Rolling Stone cover star Bree Runway fronts the campaign with a slow remix of ‘90s hit ‘Rhythm of the Night’.
In Cambodia, Pernod Ricard ran the latest iteration of its global ‘Autosobriety’ drink-driving prevention programme in partnership with the government and the Cambodian Red Cross. Representatives from high schools and universities received training to run road safety education courses at their institutions, with similar events around the country set to follow the first session in Phnom Penh.
And in Belgium, Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Jupiler has launched a drink-driving prevention push featuring beer glasses made from car windows that were damaged in drink-driving-related crashes. In addition to an online video, the specially-commissioned glasses have been distributed to bars around the country.
Environment
To mark this year’s ‘World Water Day’ on 22 March, which focused on how technological solutions can help address the challenge of global water scarcity, Carlsberg announced that its brewery in Fredericia, Denmark has saved around 1bn litres of water since the construction of a new water recycling plant in 2020. The plant recycles 90% of all brewing process water, cutting the facility’s water usage in half.
Beam Suntory expanded its ‘Mizuiku Education Program for Nature and Water‘ to the UK, collaborating with the Severn Rivers Trust to teach families the importance of natural water sources. Asahi, meanwhile, announced a ‘Legacy 2030’ target of reducing water usage in brewing to an average of 2.75 litres per litre of beer in Europe.
In Mexico, The Coca-Cola Co has lined up three goals to accelerate its actions on water, including achieving 100% circular water use at 175 key production facilities globally by 2030.
Back in the US, and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation is working with The Nature Conservancy to advance the aim of conserving 1m kilometres of rivers and 30m hectares of wetlands by 2030. The collaboration is part of AB InBev’s 2025 sustainability targets, which include engaging 100% of its US facilities in water efficiency efforts.
Carlsberg also announced expanded regenerative barley usage across its brands in the UK, Finland and France as part of the worldwide aim to achieve 100% regenerative agricultural practices by 2040. The commitment is part of Carlsberg’s ‘ZERO Farming Footprint’ ambition under its ‘Together Towards Zero and Beyond’ ESG programme.
Meanwhile, Pernod Ricard and Heineken are collaborating on a three-year project to help barley farmers in Ireland adopt regenerative agricultural practices, which will be the pilot project for a collaborative global agriculture programme. Heineken has also developed an algorithm for its digital billboards in Peru that reduces energy use by 15% through randomly turning pixels off in a way that is imperceptible to viewers. The group has made the algorithm free for all businesses to use as part of its ‘Brew A Better World’ commitment.
In Japan, Kirin has introduced 100% renewable energy at its Toride brewery, meaning that five of the company’s nine breweries in the country are using 100% renewable energy. Kirin will also shortly become the first company in Japan to chemically recycle used PET bottles to produce new 3-litre bottles for the Tap Marché beer dispenser in restaurants.
Governance
Diageo has been named as the top company for female representation at board level in the ‘FTSE Women Leaders Review’ for the third year in a row, and was ranked second globally and first in the UK in Equileap’s ‘2023 Gender Equality Global Report’. The group has also committed to becoming a ‘Fertility Friendly’ organisation, with the introduction of expanded fertility support for its UK employees.
Brown-Forman was named as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the second time, based on around 200 assessment metrics across culture, environmental and social practices, ethics and compliance activities, governance, diversity and initiatives to support a strong value chain. The company was also named a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the third consecutive year by Great Place to Work India, as was Beam Suntory.
Elsewhere, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman and Diageo made donations to support relief work in Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquake at the beginning of February.
Finally, to mark ‘International Women’s Day’, Molson Coors Beverage Co’s Miller Lite fronted ‘Bad $#!T to Good $#!T’, a consumer-facing activation aiming to buy up sexist, outdated beer adverts from decades past. Miller Lite then turns the old paper and cardboard ads into fertiliser to grow hops for donation to women brewers across the US and Canada.
Miller Lite is also donating US$60,000 to the ‘Pink Boots Society’, which supports women brewers.
Head here for more details on the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking.
