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New Report Reveals How Heineken Is Brewing a Better World

Today, Heineken N.V. released its 2016 Annual Report, marking the first time the company has combined its annual and sustainability report into one document.

By Sustainable Brands | Published 8 years ago | About a 2 minute read

Today, Heineken N.V. released its 2016 Annual Report, marking the first time the company has combined its annual and sustainability report into one document.

Heineken has indicated that it believes business growth and sustainability go hand in hand, which is why ‘Brewing a Better World’ — which encompasses water stewardship, reducing CO2 emissions, sourcing sustainably, advocating responsible consumption, promoting health and safety, and growing with communities — is one of the company’s six business priorities. Disclosing the progress of ‘Brewing a Better World’ together with the company’s financial results is a logical next step.

The Annual Report includes the following sustainability highlights:

CO2 emissions in production decreased from 6.7 to 6.5 kg CO2e/hl last year: a 37 percent reduction compared with baseline year 2008. In absolute terms, CO2 emissions were reduced by 5 percent since 2008, despite business volumes having grown by 52 percent during that time.
Heineken invested in 125,000 green fridges to help customers reduce emission. CO2 emissions per fridge were 46 percent less than 2010.
Water consumption in breweries decreased to 3.6 hl/hl, a 28 percent decline compared with 2008. For breweries in water-stressed areas the 2020 target of 3.3 hl/hl has already been reached.
The company sourced 49 percent of agricultural raw materials used in Africa and the Middle East locally.
The company’s major markets invested more than 10 percent of their media spend on Enjoy Heineken Responsibly campaigns and activities. Moreover, 51 of Heineken’s operating companies had a partnership in place to address alcohol-related harm.
€200 million will be committed to reinforce Heineken’s ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ message in the next five years with campaigns in markets around the world.

“Our performance in 2016 reflects the successful execution of our strategy, as well as the relevance of our unique diversified footprint and premium brand portfolio, led by Heineken. In relation to sustainability, our ambition is to Brew a Better World from ‘Barley to Bar,’ connecting our activities to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the COP21 Paris Agreement on climate change. We are making good progress in all of our six sustainability focus areas, putting us firmly on track to reach the vast majority of our commitments for 2020,” said Jean-François van Boxmeer, chairman of the executive board and CEO.

The full Heineken N.V. 2016 Annual Report can be accessed and downloaded from the company website.