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Building on a decade
of achievements to
shape future plans
19
Brew a Better World
A strong heritage and sustainable culture
Reflecting on Brewing a Better World
A global strategy that meets local needs
"Building on the past 10 years of our Brewing a Better
World programme, we are raising the bar on our
support of the UN SDGs in a decade in which more
ambitious collective action is the only way forward."
Celebrating our achievements
...and learning some hard lessons
Raising the bar
Heineken N.V.
Annual Report 2020
Introduction
Report of the
Executive Board
Report of the
Supervisory Board
Financial
Statements
Sustainability
Review
Other
Information
Throughout the years, our company has been led by
the desire to create a successful, sustainable business
that wasn't just financially prosperous but which also
made a positive contribution to society as a whole.
The simple blueprint established over 155 years
ago was to hire passionate people, use the freshest
ingredients, constantly innovate, never compromise
on quality and then to reinvest in society and the
communities. All these principles are foundational
to us as a company today and are reflected in our
Brewing a Better World programme.
Our aim by Brewing a Better World was, by definition,
to limit our potential negative impacts on the world
and maximise our positive contribution.
Since its launch, Brewing a Better World has come to
be embedded in everything we do.
We have embraced our responsibility and set out
to constantly learn how we can create more shared
value - from the moment the barley seed is planted
to the second the empty glass is set down on the bar.
We also strive to have a meaningful impact by
measuring progress in terms of our external
impact and contribution to the UN Sustainable
Development Goals.
Our global strategy must be able to seamlessly
adapt to meet local needs of consumers, customers
and communities around the world. Each market
is unique and understanding and adapting to local
context creates new business opportunities and
improves our relationships.
It also enables us to address global priorities by
empowering operating companies to address
local issues - supporting healthy watersheds in
water-stressed areas being an example of a global
priority which has a crucial local impact.
StaceyTank
Chief Corporate Affairs and Transformation Officer
We have many achievements to be proud of -
from the first carbon neutral brewery in the world
in Austria; to halving our CO2 emissions in our
breweries since 2008; to the 33% cut in our average
water consumption since 2008; to the fact that
today 58% of our agricultural raw materials are
sustainably sourced.
We've seen momentum build with new innovations
- for example sustainable packaging innovations
such as the 'green grip' in the UK - and campaigns
that have stood the test of time like 'When You
Drive, Never Drink' which has reached millions of
consumers around the world over the past years.
But perhaps the biggest achievement is how we have
come together as one team to transform our global
business. Brewing a Better World has united our over
84,000 employees and become an integral part of our
business strategy - delivering on our commitments
in a truly cross-functional way across the entire
value chain.
We did not achieve all our Brewing a Better World
commitments and in other areas we now know we
need to accelerate progress.
Although we have significantly reduced the accident
frequency in our operations, we still see fatalities as
a result of our business. We must continue to do our
utmost to ensure a safe working environment for
our people. We have launched a new global strategy
to drive further progress and 'Put Safety First!' has
become our number one company behaviour.
In others areas, we have learned the hard way by
failing to meet our targets - such as falling short
on our local sourcing commitment in Africa which
proved more complex and time consuming than we
had envisaged.
Our vocal critics have helped us reflect on and address
key issues, like the role of brand promoters or third-
party labour standards. This constructive criticism is
invaluable to our efforts to become a better company.
One of the biggest lessons we have learnt along the
way is the power of being bold. We must challenge
the status quo and never stop innovating to make
a meaningful difference. We must also be flexible
and continuously adapt to the world around us as it
changes at ever increasing pace - a need the past year
has demonstrated like no other.
Brewing a Better World has created a strong
foundation on which to build in a world that is
facing challenges that demand strong, decisive
and collective action. Reversing climate change,
addressing water scarcity and creating a more
equal and fair society - we are determined to help
address these challenges because we understand
that our company can only thrive if the planet and
communities we depend on are thriving.
This is why we are raising the bar with our revised
strategy for the next decade. It will raise our ambitions
on climate action. We will accelerate our efforts to
support the social agenda and will be ambitious and
bold in promoting moderate consumption of alcohol.
Building brands that deliver our sustainability agenda
will remain a fundamental priority for the decade ahead.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported
us over this incredible journey. It has been
profoundly complex, sometimes difficult, but utterly
rewarding. We will continue to work together as a
team, every day moving a step closer towards our
renewed ambitions.
To learn more about what we have achieved by 2020,
please go to page 125
