Geert Swaanenburg
CEO
HEINEKEN Breweries
We know, that HEINEKEN, as a global corporation, has a significant impact on our environment and society. This is one of the reasons why we create the “Brew a better world” strategy, in which we are committed to environmental protection and sustainable development
Eco-friendly beer production
Industry: Food
Date: since 2010
Water
Solutions of the macro-sustainability challenges
Improving the efficiency of water distribution and usage
Further targets:
What´s the solution?
The “Teem a better world” sustainability plan sets out for 10 years the goals and tools that will enable HEINEKEN to become the world’s most eco-friendly beer producer by 2020. The plan focuses on four area of which one is water management, besides the strategy corresponds with the company’s perception that “we live according to our values, exert the power of example, and work together for change”.
HEINEKEN is also a major water user. The beer consists almost entirely of water, as it is also necessary for crop and beer production. HEINEKEN will do utmost to protect the world’s drinking water supply with water efficiency improvement measures, reducing specific water use and modern wastewater treatment that meets the highest standards.
Business connection
Our company’s strategy attempts to shape our business goals to serve the interests of society, while also focusing on environmental protection and sustainable development. Reduced water use is not only an economic benefit for HEINEKEN but also beneficial for the environment. We are constantly improving the sustainability of our business by introducing environmentally friendly solutions, and we expect from all our employees to be responsible.
Results
By contributing the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we have developed our project called “Teem a better world”. One of its pillars is the protection of water base, so we are emphasizing issues linked with water. In 2017, we reduced our total water consumption by 2%, compared to 2016, and in the last ten years we reduced our water consumption by 23%. With the help of these results, we use only 3,3 litres of waters to make 1 litre of beer.