In its oft-heard mantra, AB InBev Vietnam has always emphasized its commitment to the future with more cheers, and has gone to great lengths to realize this commitment when it comes to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. For any brewery, water matters the most, and AB InBev Vietnam, therefore, has launched numerous initiatives to protect water resources and to raise awareness on the importance of water for the goal of sustainable development.
Conserving water
Craig MacLean, managing director of AB InBev Southeast Asia, put it clearly, “Clean water solutions always take center stage in the environmental-social-governance (ESG) journey of our business.” He was speaking at the “Love Water – Act Green” seminar organized in March this year by the brewery in Binh Duong Province, in collaboration with the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, to mark World Water Day, March 22.
The seminar, according to the organizers, aimed to promote green living and raise public awareness on using water economically. Attendees at the event were able to learn how to access and use clean water in an efficient way, not only in production but also in daily life.
“For AB InBev Vietnam, water is the most important resource. No water, no beer!” stressed Craig MacLean, adding the company places clean water solutions in the core of its CSR activities.
For over eight years operating in Vietnam, AB InBev, which currently operates two breweries in Vietnam with a combined capacity of one million hectoliters a year, turning out multiple beer products for both local consumption and export to the region, has focused its CSR programs on conserving and supplying clean water for the community.
Last year, on World Water Day on March 22, AB InBev Vietnam coordinated with Dong Nai Province’s Women Union to launch two water projects for people in the province’s Dinh Quan District.
Specifically, the company financed the construction of a clean water supply system for the people in Thanh Son Commune, allowing the people there to access clean water. Under this “sustainable water to a future with more cheers” program, AB InBev Vietnam also financed the dredging of canals and streams in Phu Hoa Commune in Dinh Quan District, improving water sanitation for the people there.
Addressing the handover functions, Craig Katerberg, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer of Budweiser APAC, repeated the importance of water in the company’s CSR programs, asserting that the company is highlighting this in its business strategy. “We tested the water in some specific sites in Dinh Quan District and found out the quality was low. We believed that the people there needed clean water, so we worked with relevant parties and the community in Dinh Quan to solve the problem.”
He told the handover ceremony that AB InBev not only supplies quality beer for consumers, but also wants to make positive contributions to the local community. “For AB InBev, economic benefits must be balanced with benefits for the environment and society, and cheers must go alongside responsibility in the company’s sustainability journey,” he said.
AB InBev is a company based on nature, and “we continue to invest in nature-based solutions to help address challenges such as water stress, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Going beyond our ingredients, our processes are also increasingly powered by nature. Knowing that “No water, no beer!”, we have long pursued water use efficiency and are proud to lead the industry in our water practice,” according to the company.
Smart Drinking and other CSR activities
As a beer producer, promoting smart drinking has also been a key CSR program at AB InBev Vietnam, especially given the negative impacts of drink driving on the community.
“We continued to roll out Smart Drinking campaigns to raise awareness of responsible drinking and road safety in Vietnam. In Vietnam, AB InBev always believes that when driving, you should never drink alcoholic beverages,” the company said.
To continue promoting and raising awareness among workers and employees, the company and its Budweiser brand have recently joined forces with the Traffic Safety Committee of Hoa Binh Province to organize the “Responsibly Enjoy Because Someone Needs You” program.
Truong Van Toan, Legal and Corporate Affairs Director of AB InBev Vietnam, said that the responsible driving program in Hoa Binh was built upon the success of a similar program at Tessellation Company Ltd. in Binh Duong Province in 2022, which had earned positive responses from the public and authorities. “That was the first brick, the motive for us to continue promoting the responsible drinking culture in Hoa Binh Province.”
In addition, after successfully accompanying universities in southern Vietnam on promoting smart drinking in 2022, in the fourth quarter of 2023, the company continued to coordinate with universities in northern Vietnam to organize the video clip contest “Responsibly Enjoy Because Someone Needs You.”
AB InBev has also actively conducted other CSR activities, such as gradually switching to renewable energy in its production, stepping up environmental protection by increasing the volume of recycled materials in packaging, and organizing internal and external activities to call for reducing plastic waste discharge among others.
Owing to the company’s persistent pursuit of ESG and other community programs, AB InBev Vietnam has gained widespread recognition. In 2023, it was ranked among the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for four times in a row by Anphabe; named among the “Top Ten Prestigious Food & Beverage Companies” for three consecutive years by Vietnam Report; and early this year, AB InBev won the Golden Dragon Award for the third straight time by Vietnam Economic Times for its active contribution to sustainable development.
