Social
In Brazil, Anheuser-Busch InBev emphasised moderation at Carnival 2025, with brands including Brahma, Beats and AMA encouraging responsible consumption and hydration during the festivities. Brahma fronted a training programme for around 30,000 street vendors on promoting responsible drinking and encouraging revellers to alternate their drinks with water when consuming alcohol. Beats distributed free water at events and and provided attendees in Salvador and São Paulo with hydration points. The campaign also included exchanging cans for fresh water and providing free water fountains in São Paulo.
Diageo built on its K-pop DrinkIQ activation in South Korea two years ago with a new responsible drinking campaign, ‘Dance Freely, Drink Responsibly’. Partnering with the popular K-dance group We Dem Boyz, the company has launched an interactive K-dance challenge to drive public engagement with the idea of moderate drinking through tutorial videos and behind-the-scenes footage of the group.
Heineken published its combined ‘Financial & Sustainability Annual Report 2024‘, highlighting its work to promote responsible drinking around the world. Last year, the company invested 15% of its total media spend in moderation-focused campaigns, reaching an estimated 1.1bn consumers, and also reported 98% compliance with IARD’s digital standards for responsible marketing.
In South Korea, Pernod Ricard completed a market-specific push of its ‘Drink More Water’ responsible drinking programme, reaching around 17.9m consumers over a six-month period. The campaign is part of the group’s ‘2030 Sustainable Responsibility’ targets, and has been targeting Gen Z and Millennial consumers over the summer months and end-of-year celebrations with social media ads and activations at festivals.
Pernod Ricard is also introducing digital QR code labels across its entire range of brands in the Philippines. The labels provide consumers with accessible information to encourage well-informed and responsible drinking decisions, in line with local health advice.
The Asia Pacific International Wine & Spirits Association (APISWA) launched the debut ‘Moderation Week’ campaign across the Asia Pacific region with partners from 12 countries. APISWA commenced the campaign in Vietnam with 18 alcohol producers and trade associations, and will promote evidence-based approaches to reduce harmful drinking through new reports, briefing papers and educational websites to promote responsible drinking.
In Australia, DrinkWise ran two responsible drinking campaigns, including the latest instalment of its ‘You won’t miss a moment if you DrinkWise’ push, featuring Australian football rules player Patrick Dangerfield. The organisation reports that while consumers in the country increasingly recognise the importance of moderating one’s drinking at sports events, a significant number of sports fans have had their enjoyment spoiled by a friend drinking too much.
Environment
In Japan, Asahi was awarded a place on CDP’s ‘double A List’ for its climate change and water security initiatives in 2024. The global NGO runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system. Asahi also donated around JPY300,000 (US$2,007) for forest conservation activities in the country’s Ehime Prefecture this month, to fund cherry tree plantings in Maruyama Forest Park.
Carlsberg expanded its 2023 global partnership with WaterAid to support water conservation projects in communities located near its breweries in India. The company has committed to replenishing the water used in the brewing process through off-site projects with local communities and ecosystems, and the new programmes are expected to conserve over 320,000 cubic metres water per year.
Over in Vietnam, Carlsberg’s Huda Beer unit extended its long-running clean water supply project, to help local communities in the central region cope with extreme water shortages. In the initiative’s sixth year, the division is coordinating with local authorities in four provinces to develop plans to invest in essential infrastructure, including new water pipelines to thousands of homes and equipment upgrades at local water supply stations.
In its forementioned Financial and Sustainability Annual Report 2024, Heineken noted a 34% reduction of its Scope 1 & 2 Emissions since 2022, building towards net zero across its operations by 2030, and 84% of its global operations used renewable electricity in 2024. The brewer also introduced a worldwide circularity strategy and launched reforestation projects in Brazil, Nigeria and Ethiopia to improve biodiversity and water conservation.
In Japan, Kirin’s Jonohira Vineyard became its owner’s second vineyard to be designated as a nature-symbiotic site by the country’s Ministry of the Environment. Since 2023, the ministry has been designating high-biodiversity land owned by private companies as part of the country’s work towards the international ’30 by 30′ target adopted by the UN COP15 conference three years ago. Kirin has been working to improve biodiversity at its agricultural sites since 2014.
Elsewhere, Kirin was presented with a ‘Gold Award’ at the Ministry of Health’s sixth annual ESG Finance Awards, marking the fourth time since 2019 that it has received gold in the awards’ sustainability category.
Governance
Bacardi launched the latest instalment of its global ‘Shake Your Future’ free bartender training programme in Scotland, offering 12 young adults the skills necessary for a career in hospitality. Students will complete a 12-week course with some of the country’s most-respected bar staff before running the bar at the annual Glasgow Bartenders Ball next year.
Meanwhile, Bacardi is expanding the project with a next-level programme for bartenders already working in the hospitality sector in Bermuda, to further support career development and industry growth. Six leading hospitality venues have joined the project, which involves a six-week course at the European Bartender School in London, and will play a critical role in addressing hospitality workforce shortages in Bermuda.
Across the Oceania region, Suntory relaunched its ‘Club Suntory’ programme, which originally ran between 1986 and 2015 as a professional education and support network for hospitality workers. Now comprising a digital network, Club Suntory will provide on-premise professionals with the knowledge, techniques and inspiration they need to excel in their craft, to raise standards and empower workers.
