And now that I’ve got your attention, yes SI is serious!
As per a recent article over on Inside Supply Management (ISM) on Brewing a Better Future, Heineken plans to Improve, Empower, and Make an Impact! As part of its three-part strategic initiative, Heineken plans to increase partnerships, source local, and, most importantly, reduce CO2 emissions and water consumption.
With respect to CO2 emissions and water consumption, Heineken plans to:
- reduce emissions by 40% in its breweries,
- reduce and track emissions throughout the value chain,
- implement the concept of a CO2 neutral brewery in at least three sites (by 2015), and
- reduce water usage by 20%.
That’s one heck of a sustainability initiative, especially for a brewery where water consumption can be as much as 8 cubic meters per cubic meter of beer produced and where CO2 production can be as much as 10 kg per hecto-liter. If it succeeds, the improvements will be very significant, with over a liter of water being saved per liter of beer (as consumption will be reduced from 5.1 to 3.7) and kgs of CO2 emissions disappearing per hecto-liter (as output will decrease from 10.4 kg/hl in 2008 to 6.4 kg/hl in 2020).
If Heineken succeeds, the innovations that it will introduce could revolutionize not only the brewing industry, but the food and beverage industry as a whole. Let’s all hope that they manage to brew a better business (without sacrificing the quality of the beer, of course).