SUSTAINABILITY
OUR PRIORITIES
Sustainability
The Brewers of Europe believe that beermaking can and should have a positive impact on people and the planet. We encourage sustainable practices in our brewing processes, in our supply chains and in how beer is consumed and enjoyed.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Europe’s brewers fully recognise our responsibility to show leadership in tackling the climate crisis, supporting the circular economy and other environmental challenges.
We are proud of our many initiatives, big and small, to develop sustainable practices, and our progress goes hand-in-hand with Europe’s aims to lead on tackling climate change and ensuring circularity.
The beer sector today innovates, leads by example and brings people together for sustainability.
WHAT WE DO
In recent years, European brewers have taken significant strides in championing sustainability within the beer industry throughout the entire production and distribution chain.
From sourcing ingredients to packaging and transportation, European brewers are setting standards for sustainability without compromising on quality.
Breweries have made direct improvements in the use of water, energy, transport and packaging, reducing carbon emissions and waste, and providing the reuse of secondary products through innovative processes and solutions in partnership with others.
Our areas of focus
PACKAGING
We pioneer measures in packaging sustainability. From using reusable kegs and casks that last for 30 years before being crushed and recycled, to pioneering the use of returnable glass bottles where it makes sense, to setting up and supporting the establishment of return systems for recyclable cans and other containers, we are setting the pace on packaging.
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ENERGY
The brewing sector is constantly working to reduce energy consumption and move towards using renewable energy to run breweries. Many breweries now obtain 100% of their energy and fuel from renewable sources! We are building more energy-efficient brewing systems to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our impact on our climate.
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WATER EFFICIENCY
European brewers are making huge efforts to become more sustainable in water usage. We know the damage that wasteful practises have on our resources and our climate, and we are working across our operations to see how we can reduce our water consumption.
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SECONDARY PRODUCTS
Although beer is the main product of brewing, many other valuable products emerge from the brewing process. The brewing sector has a long tradition of finding valuable applications for these secondary products. These new uses mean less waste and more biodiversity, returning nutrients to nature, and reducing our impact on the planet’s resources and climate.
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CIRCULARITY
For Europe’s brewers, circularity has long been part of the job. But new ideas are taking the concept further than ever, curbing climate change and helping Europe’s brewing sector become a model of circularity.
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TRANSPORT
There is almost no way to produce and sell beer without using some form of freight and transport. But there are ways to make the shipping more sustainable, as we help decarbonise logistics and curb climate change.
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