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How Ab InBev Is 'Blending' Sustainability

Anu Heuser Busch InBev or known popularly as AB InBev, is an American Belgian multinational drink and brewing company which is in Belgium.

It is the world's largest beer brewer by both volume and revenue. It is operating in 150 countries. It was formed in 2008 through a brewer.


HISTORY

AB InBev was formed by the American merger of an American brewer and a Brazilian brewer. Interbrew was formed in 1987 from a merger of two large breweries in Belgium. Ambev was created in 1999 with two mergers from Brazil. Anheuser Busch was established in 1852 in st Louis, Missouri, US. As of January 2017, they are over 400 beer brands under AB InBev.


CIRCULAR PACKAGING


Circular packaging is to design of a package that can be recycled, reused, or composted. Only packaging takes about 38.1% of GHG emissions which is risky to the environment. To address this issue, the company promotes recycling products instead of throwing the package.


The technology also reduces the weight of the beer bottle. It produces the world’s lightest and longneck beer bottles. It cuts 17% of carbon emissions. This technology was developed by the global innovation and technology center team. With the latest technology, it uses 90% less water to produce barley in sustainable packaging.


2025 SUSTAINABLE GOALS

AB InBev aims for holistic environmental and social impact to drive the change. It was introduced in 2018, march. The global sustainability team reports twice a year to the finance committee of the boards of directors.


  • By 2025 100% of farmers will be skilled and financially stable.

  • 100% of communities in high areas will get clean water

  • The bottles will be made from recycled content.

  • 100% of electricity will be renewable energy and carbon emissions will be reduced to 25%


ESG STRATEGY


The company’s strategy focuses on eight priorities.


Smart drinking

As beer can be consumed in bad ways. The company has found ways to reduce the harmful consumption of beer worldwide. Their ambition is to reduce the harmful consumption of beer worldwide by 2025. They will also use a technique “social norm” to engage consumers to reduce harmful consumption. They are also planning to increase alcohol health literacy by end of 2025.


Climate

The company is driving to reduce carbon emissions and build climate resilience through 2025 sustainable goals. They are also committed to reducing emissions across the value chain by 25% per beverage by 2025. They have achieved many goals like the first carbon-neutral facility in China. Industry’s first brewery powdered by green hydrogen.


Water Stewardship

The company developed a water risk tool. It helps in identifying and prioritizing the company’s sites which are in high-stress water areas. With this tool, they improved the water availability in Mexico. It also restored the ancient water channels in Peru.


Sustainable agriculture

The company works with farmers to improve sustainable farming. Their goal is to achieve net zero value by 2040. In 2021, they partnered with TNC to show priority areas for biodiversity actions by environmental data on maps.


Circular packaging

The company had introduced the lightest longest beer bottle. It cut down 17% of carbon emissions per bottle. They have also used barley leftovers in sustainable packaging. Their aim for 2025 is to totally avoid PET bottles. Nearly 34.6% of the company’s global volume is sold in reusable glass. The bottles can be reused fifteen times.


Ethics and transparency

The company has launched online training for employers to aware them of anti-corruption, anti-money, and supply chain ethics. There is also a helpline which is run by an independent company and it is open 24/7.


Entrepreneurship, Diversity & Inclusion

The business-to-business platform is bringing power to small retailers. Over 2.5 million uses BEES. BEES is a website where small retailers can browse products, earn rewards, and place deliveries. BEES aims for sustainable growth through digital inclusion. It also empowers women to work as entrepreneurs. Through the BEES app, more than six thousand families received food baskets at Christmas.


WATER MANAGEMENT

Water scarcity is rising every day. This can lead to many problems in India. Water is a very important source for cropping and generating electricity for power. The company decided to reduce water per beer from 2008 to 2015. In 2009 the company worked with WWF and GIZ to address situations like water scarcity and ecosystems.


The water management project has been initiated in many places in India. It was initiated in Orissa, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Haryana. It has benefited many farmers. This project also provided water for irrigation and household use as well.


The company had initiated a groundwater management program in Haryana. The program educates farmers about groundwater levels and how to plan irrigation accordingly. The program was a huge success in Haryana. Irrigation levels have been improved and crop production technology had also improved.


Reuse Of Water

Ab InBev’s India was created by the international crop research institute for semi-arid soils to explore the use of wastewater to increase agriculture. This project is also referred to as “Water4Crops” this was led by Italy.


Water4Crops is unique as international and national companies joined hands to recycle wastewater. These researchers are finding ways to use it in domestic ways and in agriculture way. Ab InBev’s Charminar brewery, Medak, Telangana has been selected as one of the project sites.


VALUE CHAIN

Every year the company generates the value chain by giving jobs and planting crops. According to the oxford economic state, the contribution of beer globally is 555 billion dollars in 2019, which involves 23 million jobs in seventy countries. It is also found that about 89% of beer gets sold. Oxford economics also estimates that 27% of the account contribution is done by beer. It got increased during Covid 19 as the company prioritizes the health of people. In India, they organized an NGO in fifty villages and 300 oxygen cylinders.



COVID-19 TACKLING

Covid 19 was a bad phase for everyone. It led to a lot of suffering for every human being. The company had seen a golden opportunity and they were deeply connected to the communities. They have also maintained human rights and respected everyone’s boundaries. Everyone came together and helped each other in health. China and South Korea were the first countries that were impacted by covid. By the support of other people in the company. The countries had a tremendous job in practice sharing which benefitted operations around the world. The company helped hospitals produce hand sanitizers in more than twenty countries. They also provided medical and water supplies to more than three million people. They also delivered food the countries like Peru, Columbia, and educator. They have also donated five million dollars to the American and African red crosses. The company had helped human beings around the world in many ways.



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