Heineken's strategy related to environmental protection, sustainability, and responsible consumption aims to make the company group the „greenest” brewer in the world.
It is becoming increasingly evident in the business world that sustainability is a business approach that can create long-term value. However, sustainability is not just a marketing slogan: it encompasses how the organization operates within the ecological, social, and economic environment. According to the McKinsey Global Survey, 83% of corporate leaders and investment professionals believe that ESG programs will generate higher shareholder value for companies within five years.
As expectations regarding corporate responsibility grow, companies recognize that they need to take steps to retain consumers. However, professional communication and good intentions are no longer enough.
Brew a Better World
Heineken, the world's most international brewery, announced its Brew a Better World (in Hungarian communication: Csapoljunk egy jobb világot) 2030 strategy in 2021, aiming to contribute to creating a fairer and more balanced world. One year after launching the Brew a Better World objectives, it has already made significant progress in all three pillars of its strategy: promoting environmental protection, social responsibility, and responsible consumption. At one of the world's largest brewing companies, innovation seems to go much deeper than quirky slogans and advertisements. The campaigns range from the South American „Green your city” and „Urban jungle” public campaigns to supporting water quality projects and hosting more sustainable events, addressing a wide range of social strata.
In the „Brew a Better World” campaign, alongside their sustainability commitments, they claim to prioritize action in business as well. This includes achieving ”net zero” carbon emissions by 2040, for which the company has implemented over 130 renewable energy-related projects in the past three years.
„As a multinational company, we have strong ambitions. For example, in several countries, such as the Netherlands or Brazil, we already use 100% green energy for brewing beer. We have also launched a marketing campaign with the message that we have a new ingredient, and that is green energy. We believe that sustainability is the new hallmark of premium brands.”
- stated Bram Westenbrink, the global leader of Heineken Brand.
From barley to bars
Their sustainability approach covers every step of the entire value chain:
Agricultural suppliers: Heineken is among the world's largest users of malt barley and hops. An increasing share of the raw materials comes from sustainable sources, and they have committed to working with sustainably grown barley and hops by 2030. The principle of sustainable cultivation is to protect and restore the natural environment while ensuring social and economic growth for farmers, their employees, and local communities.
Production: Brewing beer consumes energy and water and requires transportation. Environmental impacts are continuously monitored through energy and water reduction programs (especially in water-scarce areas), and in collaboration with suppliers, they advocate for the transition to renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, water, and biogas. Heineken has already replenished six billion liters of water through various projects and has dozens of sites in water-scarce areas that are completely water-balanced.
Packaging: They strive to make packaging design stand out from the crowd while also reducing the product's environmental footprint. For example, switching to reusable bottles is one of the best ways to reduce impacts. In England, they have also introduced the latest recyclable materials for beer cans. Green Grip packaging that replaces single-use plastic rings in collector-packaged boxes, saving 500 tons of plastic annually. The Green Grip new packaging has replaced plastic box rings with recyclable cardboard in 100%.
Transportation: To achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions targets, the company plans to take steps throughout its entire value chain, extending beyond the brewery walls. Collaborating with agricultural, packaging, and cooling suppliers, it aims to decarbonize their production. Most products are produced in the countries where they are consumed, thereby reducing transportation and storage needs, and the environmental impact of our distribution networks. In logistics, HEINEKEN has partnered with suppliers of electric trucks that are already delivering in many parts of the world. Where possible, they have shifted from road transport to shipping.
Cooling: Most beverages, especially beer, are consumed cold from a refrigerator (e.g., in bottles or cans) or from a tap (in the case of draft beer). They support the reuse of coolers to save resources and reduce waste. They continuously test new developments that can improve the organization's sustainability. Recently, they also conducted a unique experiment called The Chill Station, aimed at exploring and testing new, more sustainable ways of cooling.
Heineken® Greener Bar pop-up
Heineken's new event concept offers a completely sustainable yet entertaining experience, aimed at making pop-ups greener. Through its innovative design, the Heineken® Greener Bar helps reduce waste, emissions, water, and energy consumption, ultimately providing a more sustainable solution for events. From the staff uniforms to the building materials and decorations, from coasters made from spent grains used in brewing to the use of reusable and recyclable cups, everything is designed to promote sustainability.
Some key sustainable design innovations in the Green Bar concept:
- Zero Waste Design – The standing tables and benches in the bar are made from recycled wood, thus reducing furniture production emissions by 86%, while the bar counter and many other parts of the bar are made from recycled Heineken® crates, which are reused at every event, resulting in additional CO2 savings.
- Reusable containers: The entire bar has been designed to be easily packed into two containers, which also form the structure of the bar. This not only reduces the amount of materials needed to build the bar but also makes transportation as efficient as possible, and DHL transports the containers using renewable energy (HVO100 biofuel).
- Renewable energy in 100%: The bar uses renewable energy sources. In the 2021 season, the emissions saved by using renewable energy are expected to be equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by 75 trees over 10 years.
- Greener cooling: Through collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technology, a refrigerator has been developed that cools drinks faster without increasing energy consumption.
- Application of soil and plants: The soil and plants serve as ballast for the structure of the bar, unlike traditional water-based ballast systems, saving up to 4725 liters of water per event. The ballast bags are reusable and can be used throughout the season, while the plants and soil are donated to a local community garden at the end of the event.
- Energy-efficient roof: The sunshade roof is designed to look like the foam of a Heineken® beer, and is specifically lightweight for transport and translucent, allowing consumers to enjoy the sunshine without the need for lighting – reducing energy consumption.
- WOBO wall: From Freddy Heineken's unique innovation, the WOBO bottle – a specially developed glass bottle that can be reused for construction purposes – the creation of the main wall can save 224 kg of manufacturing emissions.
More action, less talk
The Green bar event concept has a long-term goal of providing sustainable solutions at Heineken® events and gaining further experiences worldwide. The new concept has already been introduced in London and Milan.
Bruno Bertelli, CEO of Heineken's Amsterdam Le Pub agency, believes that influential companies need to take a greater role in addressing social issues if they want to connect with a young generation disillusioned by political inaction, as young people are more likely to make sustainable decisions.
„For young people, it's all about „How can I be relevant in society?” – „How can I make the world a better place?” They know that politics doesn't bring about significant change, so they hope that brands can still actively do something to change the world,” he said.
„And now comes the essence: the emphasis is exceptionally not on communication. The principle of „less is more” applies here as well: if green initiatives are overly advertised, they can easily seem like „greenwashing”, meaning they lose their credibility” - added Bertelli - „in other words, the recipe is more action and less talk.”
In Hungary, a traveling exhibition of public posters has also been organized as part of the sustainability campaign that has been ongoing since 2010, which could be admired, for example, in front of the Akárium club in Sopron and Budapest. „We wanted to convey serious messages in a funny way to the general public, whom we also involve in the exhibition with a poster providing a selfie opportunity. We hope the installation will encourage people to take a little better care of the Earth, as this is the only planet where there is beer” - they stated about the exhibition.
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