UNIDO, Heineken partner to support sustainability in Nigeria, others

THE United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and HEINEKEN the international brewer, have announced plans to work together in a range of sustainability issues that will promote inclusive growth in developing countries.

   According to a report from UNIDO, the new partnership will focus mainly on water stewardship initiatives in countries and regions classified as “water-scarce”. 

    The initiatives will directly support HEINEKEN in the delivery of its commitment to reduce water consumption to 3.3 hl/hl in breweries located in these regions. 

   The activities will initially concentrate on breweries in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Tunisia. 

   The partnership will also investigate opportunities to expand HEINEKEN’s Supplier Development Programme to more countries in Africa as part of the company’s commitment to source 60 per cent of its raw materials locally and thus improve the livelihoods of local communities. 

   The company currently runs initiatives in nine countries covering more than 100,000 farmer families across the continent. 

   A third component of the partnership will be a feasibility study to identify potential renewable energy sources for breweries in Africa in order to improve both cost structure and environmental impact. It will also examine the potential to provide excess energy to local communities.

   Commenting on the partnership, the Director General of UNIDO, LI Yong, said: “We look forward to working with HEINEKEN to transform the ambitious goals that we have jointly set into concrete actions. Ultimately, we want to improve the lives of people in developing countries and make a meaningful contribution to inclusive and sustainable development while, at the same time, creating flourishing markets that foster business opportunities.”

   Chief Corporate Relations Officer of HEINEKEN, Sean O’Neill, said: “This international partnership with UNIDO will help us deliver the commitments that lie at the heart of our Brewing a Better World philosophy. More important, it supports our desire to create an approach to inclusive growth across all of our stakeholders.”