m
For the full foreword and an
interview with Sean O'Neill,
Chief Corporate Relations
Officer, see our online report.
Brewing a
Better Future
is about how
To our stakeholders
It is fair to say that 2011 was a year of
great change in the world around us.
It was the year of the 'Arab Spring', when
communities gained a voice that was so
strong it was able to bring about political
change. We saw the social media
revolution continue to break down barriers
to information access, making 'genuine
transparency' the new political and
corporate reality. Once again we witnessed
the power and devastation that can be
caused by natural disasters. The economic
contagion affecting parts of Europe showed
little sign of abating. And the challenges of
population growth and the environment
were on the global agenda of both political
and societal leaders.
It was against this backdrop, that in 2011
we continued to address the issues that
impact the way we manage our business:
finding new ways to reduce the quantities
of scarce natural resources, such as water;
empowering communities where we operate
by increasing the quantity of ingredients
that we source locally; continuing to reduce
our carbon footprint; and increasing our
efforts to help reduce the impact of the
misuse of alcohol.
I am pleased to say that we have made a
positive step forward in each of these areas
Heineken N.V. Su
during the year. 'Brewing a Better Future'
is about how we bring our responsibility to
life, through concrete practical actions in
our business. In this Summary Sustainability
Report you will find some highlights and
examples of these actions. Whilst we took
big steps forward last year, we must also
acknowledge - but not accept - where we
failed to meet our expectations or those
of others. Unacceptablé were the 27 fatal
accidents amongst our employees and
contractors. We grieve with the families,
friends and colleagues of those we lost.
Clearly, the security situation in Mexico played
the biggest part in these fatal accidents.
As we look ahead, we know 2012 will
be a testing year for HEINEKEN. We will
undoubtedly be challenged to meet our
ambitious targets by year end, but will
continue to put the collective energy of
tens of thousands of employees behind
achieving them.
It is only with your input, our commitment
and a shared responsibility to improve
the world around us that we will Brew a
Better Future. As always, I look forward
to continuing the journey with you.
Jean-Franqois van Boxmeer
Chairman of the Executive Board/CEO
Amsterdam, 3 April 2012
nary Sustainability Report 2011 1
we bring our
responsibility
to life."
