Every Drop
Our new water strategy for 2030.
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Brew a Better World: Protecting water resources
Water is the ultimate shared resource. It is a basic human right which sustains
vital ecosystems and is crucial to our business. Improving the health of
local watersheds in water-stressed areas is at the heart of our new strategy.
Report of the Executive Board
Report of the Supervisory Board
Financial Statements
Sustainability Review
Other Information
The rise of water scarcity
Water is essential to life and a basic human right -
we cannot live without it. But fresh water ecosystems are
under increasing pressure from the competing demands
of agriculture, business and communities.
Globally, 75% of freshwater resources are devoted to crop
or livestock production. Population growth, economic
development and urbanization are driving up demand
and further increasing pressure on water quality. At the
same time, one of the primary effects of climate change
is disruption of the water cycle. Changing weather patterns
- known as "drought and deluge" - are making some
places wetter, and some places much drier.
In many parts of the world, water is becoming a scarce
resource. Overall, without significant changes in how we
consume water, it is expected that water demand will
outstrip supply by 40% in 2030.
Every Drop:
Global ambition, local context
Over the past decade we have worked to
reduce our water use by almost a third and
to treat our wastewater before we return it
Now, we have adopted a more holistic
approach to support the health of
local watersheds, especially in water-
stressed areas.
Water
Stewardship
Water
Circularity
Water
Efficiency
The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services.
The 2030 Water Resources Group.
See page 124 for more information on our
2030 water strategy and targets
Our new strategy comprises three principles -
water stewardship, water circularity
and water efficiency. We use these principles
to develop water action plans for each
of our breweries in water-stressed areas,
in collaboration with partners and tailored
to the local context and needs of
the watershed.
Like many other food and beverage
companies, the largest part of our water
footprint is in growing crops, mainly barley.
The good news is that barley is a water-
efficient crop which commonly grows in
moderate climate zones and generally
survives on rainfall.
Irrigation is needed in some areas in the
world and we expect this need to increase
in the future due to climate change.
We are focused on developing and
supporting agricultural practices that allow
us to grow more barley with less water in
these places.
