BRUSSELS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anheuser-Busch InBev (Euronext: ABI) (NYSE: BUD) today announced it has achieved the three-year global environmental goals on water, energy, carbon emissions and recycling the company set for its beer and soft drink operations three years ago. The goals are part of AB InBev’s commitment to reduce its impact on the environment and be the Best Beer Company in a Better World.
The targets were achieved through a multi-faceted approach that applied a mix of operational changes, technological solutions, partnerships and a sustainability-focused mindset underscored by the strong teamwork among 118,000 employees around the world. The goals involve 130 breweries and soft drinks facilities across more than 20 countries.
AB InBev achieved the following against a 2009 baseline:
- Reached its three-year goal of using a leading-edge 3.5 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of production within a three-year period. This represents an 18.6% reduction in water usage across #ABInBev’s global operations against a 2009 baseline. This is equivalent to the amount of water needed to produce approximately 25 billion cans of AB InBev products, which is about 20% of one year’s production.1
- Decreased energy use per hectoliter in breweries and soft drink facilities worldwide by 12%. This result surpasses AB InBev’s #sustainability target of a 10% reduction.
- Reduced carbon emissions by 15.7%, surpassing its original three-year target of reducing emissions by 10%.
- Increased recycling rate to 99.2% for solid waste and byproducts, passing its original three-year target of achieving a 99% recycling rate.
In addition to the positive environmental impacts, efforts to reach the goals helped to identify new revenue streams, generate savings and spur the involvement of more employees and partners in AB InBev’s sustainability initiatives. Recycling initiatives have generated approximately 420 million USD in revenues globally from finding beneficial uses for recyclable materials generated from AB InBev’s processes. Efforts to use water and energy more efficiently also generated an estimated global cost savings of 92 million USD.
“By working to make our operations both more efficient and more sustainable, we have returned value to our business and to the communities in which we live and work, while uncovering new ways to achieve our Better World dream,” said Carlos Brito, CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev. “While each of our breweries and soft drink facilities faced unique circumstances, the combination of operational focus, technological solutions and most importantly, our more than 118,000 dedicated colleagues around the world, has made this shared achievement possible.”
Progress toward reaching the targets was possible because of a mix of strategies:
- Applying New Management and Technology Approaches to Bring Sustainability Solutions to Scale: AB InBev efficiently applied its management system and new technology solutions, which have added up to big results. By the end of 2012, 95% of AB InBev brewery and soft drink facilities were Voyager Plant Optimization (VPO)-certified. VPO is a facility management system that includes rigorous standards for sustainability, operations, quality and safety outcomes. It played a vital role in the company successfully meeting its three-year goals.
- Building a Culture of Sustainability: AB InBev’s employees have contributed to this achievement through work in operations, the supply chain and with community partners. Integrating sustainability into every aspect of the business by keeping employees and stakeholders engaged through global rally days, such as the United Nations Environment Programme’s World Environment Day, and work with partners like community groups and municipal governments, have helped small steps add up to big results.
Operations around the world contributed to the progress:
- Breweries in the United States reduced water use by 17.5% between 2009 and 2012 – saving the equivalent of 10.2 billion liters. The Cartersville brewery in Georgia achieved a company-leading 2.8 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of production. AB InBev is also one of the largest users of solar power in the U.S. brewing industry, with photovoltaic solar systems at our breweries in Newark, New Jersey and Fairfield, California.
- In Canada, VPO’s Self-Directed Operator and Technician initiative gives operators the authority and training required to take responsibility for specific key performance indicators and apply proven methods and management tools to identify and implement improvements. Between 2009 and 2012, AB InBev colleagues in Canada reduced water consumption by 17% and total carbon emissions by 26%.
- Breweries in China reduced water use by 38.4% and energy use by 30% between 2009 and 2012, leading all Zones. In addition, the China team has formed a strategic alliance with GE, the energy solutions provider, and is piloting innovative solutions that will result in greater energy and water savings and reduced carbon emissions.
- A new bottle for the Beck’s and Beck’s Blue brands, introduced in the United Kingdom, is 11% lighter than its predecessor and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by almost 2,000 metric tons in 2013.
- A new power plant in Belgium’s Leuven brewery uses the heat from electricity production to create steam for the brewing process, reducing fuel consumption by 10%; and new state-of-the-art bottle-washers at the Jupille brewery use 15% less energy and 20% less water.
- In Brazil, the company developed the first 100% recycled PET bottle for the Guaraná Antarctica soft drink. The bottle uses 70% less energy and 70% less carbon emissions to manufacture. The Maranhão brewery shares part of its treated effluent with Alumar, an aluminum company, resulting in a savings of 85,000 cubic meters of water per month – the equivalent of providing water to 25,000 people.
- At the Sur plant in Argentina, the largest soft drinks facility in the Latin America South Zone, the company installed advanced technology for the biological treatment of effluent, using permeable membrane technology. The process allows the company to reuse a portion of the treated effluent internally for cleaning and other non-product processes. It also ensures extremely high-quality effluent is discharged to the Riachuelo River, which flows through Buenos Aires and has suffered from years of industrial and residential pollution.
- In Russia and Ukraine, the company has invested more than 50 million USD since 2010 in the construction of Bio Treatment System facilities, which generate biogas fuel from byproducts of the breweries’ operations. This process further enhances the effectiveness of these effluent treatment systems by reducing the amount of conventional fuel needs.
AB InBev will be announcing a new set of global environmental goals later this year, pending review of this initial three-year cycle and consultation with stakeholders.
Learn more about #ABInBev’s #sustainability initiatives and #BetterWorld work at http://bitly.com/globalgoals
1 The cans of beer equivalency was calculated by totaling the three-year water savings, which equaled 312,330,230 hectoliters, or 87.9 billion 355-mL cans. That number was then divided by the company’s current usage rate of 3.5 hectoliters of water per hectoliter of production, which equaled 25 billion cans of product saved.
About Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). It is the leading global brewer and one of the world’s top five consumer products companies and recognized as first in the beverage industry on FORTUNE Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired” companies list. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years and our portfolio of well over 200 beer brands continues to forge strong connections with consumers. We invest the majority of our brand-building resources on our Focus Brands - those with the greatest growth potential such as global brands Budweiser®, Stella Artois® and Beck’s®, alongside Leffe®, Hoegaarden®, Bud Light®, Skol®, Brahma®, Antarctica®, Quilmes®, Michelob Ultra®, Harbin®, Sedrin®, Klinskoye®, Sibirskaya Korona®, Chernigivske®, Hasseröder® and Jupiler®. In addition, the company owns a 50 percent equity interest in the operating subsidiary of Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer and owner of the global Corona® brand. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s dedication to heritage and quality originates from the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium dating back to 1366 and the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery, with origins in St. Louis, USA since 1852. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, Anheuser Busch InBev leverages the collective strengths of its approximately 118 000 employees based in 23 countries worldwide. In 2012, AB InBev realized 39.8 billion US dollar revenue. The company strives to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World. For more information, please visit: www.ab-inbev.com.
About Better World
Through our commitment to be the Best Beer Company in a Better World, Anheuser-Busch InBev is the beer industry leader in social responsibility initiatives, ranking as the No. 1 brewer on FORTUNE Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired” companies list. Our Better World efforts focus on three pillars: promoting responsible drinking; protecting the environment; and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. Around the world, we develop and implement social responsibility programs and campaigns in partnership with parents, government officials, community organizations, retailers and others. From promoting responsible drinking messages on some of the world’s most watched television programming, to turning coconut husks into renewable energy to fuel our breweries, to volunteering in the community, Anheuser-Busch InBev and its employees are committed to making a difference.
For more information about Anheuser-Busch InBev and Better World, please visit: www.ab-inbev.com.