Heineken has become the latest large food and drink business to revise its sustainability targets in an effort to sharpen its focus on areas of greatest impact.
In a strategy update, the drinks giant said it would simplify the overall number of goals by one-third (from 24 to 16) versus its 2021 baseline and set new goals in certain areas “to concentrate on driving real change”.
The update will see Heineken retain the three existing pillars of its ‘Brew a better world’ strategy – responsible, social and environmental – and add a cross-cutting ‘fundamentals’ pillar to straddle all three. The brewer said many of the retired goals have been integrated into its fundamentals. It has also added a new outcome-based, community impact goal focused on water access, economic opportunity and social cohesion.
Heineken stressed that the environmental pillar of its strategy remains consistent with its existing ambitions. Net-zero targets remain unchanged with Heineken aiming to reach net-zero within its operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2030 and across its value chain by 2040, with an interim goal to reduce scope 3 emissions by 26% across FLAG and non-FLAG emissions by 2030. Fellow drinks supplier Diageo recently scaled back its net-zero targets citing challenges with policy and infrastructure.
Heineken has also strengthened its goal to use water more efficiently by setting a target to reduce average water usage to 2.6 hectolitre per hectolitre of beer produced globally, and to 2.4 hl/hl in water stressed areas. The previous goals were for 2.9hl/hl and 2.6hl/hl respectively.
On packaging, Heineken has set a goal to have 43% of volumes sold in a reusable format by 2030. By the end of 2024, 39% of all volumes sold were in a reusable format. It is also aiming for 50% recycled content in bottles and cans by 2030, and for 99% of all packaging to be recyclable by design by the same year.
As part of its responsible pillar, Heineken is targeting growth in low- and no alcohol drinks and has set a new goal to grow its low- and no portfolio by at least 25% by volume compared to 2024.
“Over the past five years, we’ve raised the bar with ‘Brew a better world’ by turning complex sustainability challenges into practical actions that are now embedded in how we operate,” wrote Heineken chairman and CEO Dolf van den Brink in his foreword to the strategy update.
“Yet, we have also learned that progress is never linear,” he continued. “Some initiatives advance faster than expected, while others face technical, logistical, or market challenges. And as the world becomes more uncertain – with inflation, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and the climate crisis – we must continue to adapt, together with our partners.”
