HEINEKEN a ‘socially responsible investment'

At HEINEKEN one of our key ambitions is to be a truly global citizen, which means we have a responsibility to make things better - now, and for generations to come. That is why we launched our Brewing a Better Future Programme three years ago.

We see our sustainability strategy as a journey to be measured and improved as we progress towards our specific targets and priorities. As well as measuring our own performance, we are often assessed externally by third party reports and this month we are delighted to have been selected by Triodos Investment Management for their Socially Responsible Investment Universe.

Like us, Triodos believes that the most successful businesses are those that achieve the right balance between their social, environmental and economic performance. To be selected for the list, companies must meet Triodos’ criteria in three principal areas:

Environment

We were found to have a highly developed and sophisticated approach to water stewardship and were commended for prioritising and implementing an action plan to reduce our use of water. This is critical in our industry, where we use water throughout our supply chain and where our finished product is 95% water.

The aim of our water stewardship action plan is two-fold: firstly, we aim to reduce specific water consumption by addressing avoidable losses; and secondly, we aim to balance - as far as possible - any water used in our operations that cannot be returned to the local watershed (in particular for water-scarce and water-distressed areas). You can read more about our water stewardship programme here.

Social responsibility

We were praised for our high labour standards and attitude to employees around the world. The Triodos report highlights our comprehensive human and labour rights policies .

The report also highlights the enormous amount of work that we have undertaken to raise awareness of responsible consumption. Our marketing activities aim to make responsible consumption aspirational; a good example is our global Dance More, Drink Slow campaign. Through this campaign we want to change perceptions so that drinking in moderation becomes the cool option, building a positive image for beer. Triodos notes that we have made particular efforts to educate consumers in developing countries about the dangers of excessive drinking and driving.

Governance

We have a governance model in place at both global and local levels and our governance policies form the basis of our way of working. Triodos’ report particularly acknowledges the measures we have taken to enforce a strict policy on bribery and corruption. It also notes our involvement with, and support of, the UN Global Compact (of which we are a founding member). You can read more about how we work with partners to achieve an even greater impact from our sustainability program here.