Burundi brewer goes green
This September, Heineken's Burundian
subsidiary Brarudi (short for Brasseries et
Limonaderies du Burundi), published its
first ever sustainability report, outlining its
efforts to improve Burundi's environment
and society.
Rapport Développement
Durable 2008
World of Heineken 39 - winter 2008/2009
"Making the present state of affairs and our plans for the future known
is our way of making a promise to the public," Alexandra Sindahera,
Corporate Relations Manager for Brarudi said.
Brarudi operates two breweries that brew Amstel and the local
brand Primus. With approximately 1,000 employees on the payroll
and with its 43 per cent share of the local beer market, Brarudi is a
cornerstone of the local economy. It contributes approximately 14
per cent of the country's gross national product and it pays almost a
third of all the nation's taxes.
"When your impact on a country is that major, social responsibility
becomes even more essential," Alexandra said.
Environmentally speaking, Brarudi has committed to reduce its use
of energy and raw materials by more than one fifth over the course
of the next three years. Water use has already been reduced by
more than 35 per cent during the last three years, meaning Brarudi is
running well ahead of its original timetable, which intended to have a
similar reduction realised by 2010.
Water use is a particularly important measure of environmental
performance for Brarudi, since it draws all of its water supply from the
ecologically fragile lake Tanganyika. The lake, the second largest in
Africa, supports more than 400 species offish and is one of the main
sources of nutrition for a million people living around its borders.
The Burundian brewer also intends to reduce its emission of water
pollutants to zero through the use of more efficient machinery and
recycling.
In the employee safety department there was also good news to
report, with the number of accidents having been reduced by more
than 45 per cent since 2005.
"In addition to the importance of the environment and our employees,
our efforts in the realm of responsible consumption are of great
societal significance to Burundi," Alexandra said.
In its Sustainability Report Brarudi has announced that it will dedicate
a substantial effort to better inform the Burundian public about
the dangers of excessive consumption. Brarudi has also committed
itself to a self-regulatory code detailing the do's and don'ts of beer
advertising.
Alexandra Sindahera@Heineken.nl
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