Carlsberg and the journey of “brewing with purpose”

Carlsberg and the journey of “brewing with purpose”

The beer giant, founded by J.C. Jacobson in the Danish capital of Copenhagen in 1847, has a long track record of pursuing perfection in the art of brewing. As far back as 1875, Jacobson established the Carlsberg Research Laboratory with the purpose of developing beer of the highest possible quality, as well as providing a global model for brewing and the scientific research that goes into it. As a result, the laboratory has been recognised as the origin of ground-breaking innovations, which not only set the next steps for the development of Carlsberg, but also the brewing industry as a whole.

The ambition of Carlsberg’s founder did not stop there. To ensure that Carlsberg would be led by Denmark’s greatest minds, Jacobsen secured the future of his brewery by transferring it to the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, giving rise to the establishment of the Carlsberg Foundation in 1876. Since then, the Carlsberg Foundation has overseen the Carlsberg Group, ensuring that the brewery is run with a focus on innovation and high-quality products, and supported basic research within the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. With investment going far beyond the development of better beer every day, the Carlsberg Foundation has been the platform for Carlsberg’s relentless dedication to establish a better future for all.

Science-based approach

Inheriting this rich heritage with a crystal clear purpose in mind, every development at Carlsberg moves along a steady path where profitability and sustainability exist in harmony. Fully understanding the importance of making changes to cope with sustainability challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and public health concerns, Carlsberg has been striving towards a sustainable future with various initiatives that have brought positive impacts to society.

The Together Towards Zero programme (TTZ) is one of the major contributions of Carlsberg in this journey. Developed in partnership with leading global experts using a science-based approach, this sustainability programme consists of the four major ambitions of zero carbon footprint, zero water waste, zero irresponsible drinking, and a zero accidents culture. Each is underpinned by clear, measurable targets for 2022 all the way to 2030.

Aimed at eliminating the carbon footprint at all breweries and minimising beer-in-hand emissions by 2030, substantial efforts have been made at Carlsberg. The result is thus far remarkable, with 20 per cent reduction of carbon emissions since 2015. Last year, Carlsberg reduced its coal usage by 28 per cent compared to 2017, and a 78 per cent reduction since 2015.

Reports also showed that up to 46 per cent of the group’s total electricity consumption in 2018 came from renewable sources. Moreover, 88 per cent of coolers purchased during 2018 at Carlsberg breweries are recorded to live up to low-climate-impact standards. In addition, the introduction of the Snap Pack was a groundbreaking development by Carlsberg.

A world first for the beer industry, the Snap Pack replaces traditional plastic shrink-wrap by using pioneering glue technology to hold multipacks together. Compared to traditional packaging, the adoption of the Snap Pack will reduce plastic usage by up to 76 per cent, which means more than 1,200 tonnes of plastic, which is the equivalent to 60 million plastic bags.

Meanwhile, Carlsberg are continuing to roll-out existing wastewater recycling technologies around the world. The result achieved in 2018 is promising, with a 9 per cent improvement in water efficiency since the 2015 baseline. The company last year refined its water waste roadmap, placing an increased focus on emerging technologies in the water-saving space.

New industry standards

To encourage a healthier drinking culture, Carlsberg is working with partners to support consumers in making smart choices when it comes to beer consumption. Great efforts have been made to achieve this purpose, which is reflected by 96 per cent of Carlsberg’s packaging by 2018 carrying responsible drinking messages, advising consumers not to drink-drive and not to drink when underage or pregnant. In three years, 100 per cent of responsible drinking messages will be delivered through packaging and brand activations. Moreover, Carlsberg will also offer 100 per cent distribution of alcohol-free brews in order to expand customer’s choice.

Because compliance requirements vary across markets, Carlsberg’s internal regulatory system ensures strict global controls for advertising placement and content. These include never using models under 25 years of age, never appealing to minors, and never placing ads unless at least 70 per cent of the audience is of legal drinking age.

Digital platforms have never been more significant, so in order to achieve the 2022 target for responsible drinking, Carlsberg is implementing a new industry standard, called the digital guiding principles.

These principles extend marketing codes to digital platforms, with particular focus on preventing exposure of minors to alcohol-related advertising, using measures such as age-gating to verify legal drinking age, preventing the forwarding of advertisements to minors, and including responsible drinking messages across brand channels.

By making health and safety top priority at all times and by ensuring compliance with their rules and standards, Carlsberg has achieved a 35 per cent reduction in lost-time accident rates since 2015. The production department, together with sales and administration, are working to achieve the goal of ensuring zero work accidents by 2030.

In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Carlsberg’s achievements with its TTZ programme within two years are already impressive. Together they believe this progress can be accelerated even further. As a result, collaborations have blossomed, such as that of Carlsberg with post-doctoral researchers at the Carlsberg Young Scientists Community in 2018. This initiative is geared towards helping the corporation develop relevant technologies and apply them in their business.