HEINEKEN Vietnam continues sustainability ambitions amid challenging times

“Sustainability has always been central to how HEINEKEN Vietnam runs our business,” said Tran Ngoc Anh, corporate affairs director. “Amid the external challenges in 2023, we got adapted quickly to the new business landscape. Thanks to the creativity and solidarity of our team and the collective efforts we made with our trusted partners, we were able to continue our actions for sustainability and contribute our part to Vietnam’s economy, society, and environment.”

Sustainability has always been central to how HEINEKEN Vietnam runs its business

In 2023, HEINEKEN Vietnam supported 172,500 jobs throughout its entire value chain and contributed the equivalent of 0.5 per cent of GDP to the local economy. The company also achieved significant progress across its three key sustainability pillars - environment, society, and responsible consumption.

Under the environment pillar, HEINEKEN Vietnam accelerated its energy transition plan in 2023, using 99 per cent renewable energy in production - a notable increase from 96 per cent in 2022. The ambition to transition to renewable energy has resulted in a 93 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to 2018.

Towards the future, in alignment with the Vietnamese government’s sustainable development goals, HEINEKEN Vietnam is also exploring some bolder renewable electricity solutions, including direct power purchase agreements and solar energy. In addition, by maximising circularity in production, HEINEKEN Vietnam has achieved the goal of sending zero waste to landfill across all its breweries, while working towards improving post-consumer packaging collection and recycling. In 2023, these rates were recorded at 97 per cent for bottles and 99 per cent for crates.

At the same time, through a holistic approach, HEINEKEN Vietnam continued its water conservation efforts in the Red, Dong Nai and Tien River basins, in collaboration with WWF-Vietnam and partners. With a total investment of VND30 billion ($1.25 million) funded by HEINEKEN Vietnam, this multi-year (2022–2025) partnership works to protect critical watersheds and conserve three billion litres of water a year.

This initiative is also an important milestone on HEINEKEN Vietnam’s journey to becoming water balanced in water-stressed areas, meaning the company will return to the environment the amount of water used in products brewed at its Tien Giang brewery.

Under the social pillar, HEINEKEN Vietnam has continued to grow with Vietnamese people and be part of local communities. Ahead of the Lunar New Year 2024, the company, in collaboration with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, rolled out “HEINEKEN Cares - Joining Hands, toward a happy and healthy Tet” initiative.

With a total investment of VND6.1 billion ($254,166), the programme provided free medical checkups, packages of Tet essentials, and meaningful activities in the spirit of sharing and togetherness to 5,300 disadvantaged people in 31 locations nationwide. At the workplace, HEINEKEN Vietnam has stayed strongly committed to promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion – with equal development opportunities for its employees.

Under the pillar of responsible consumption, the company continued to expand its collaboration, diversifying approaches to foster positive changes in consumers' drinking habits. Initiatives like the "0.0 Rest Stop" on the highway, or the "Alcohol-Free Week" in Ho Chi Minh City during the 2023 festive season, continued to raise awareness for "When you drive, never drink", while promoting Heineken® 0.0 as another option when social gatherings among local people were at their peak.

For its continued efforts in sustainability, HEINEKEN Vietnam was once again recognised among the top three most sustainable companies in Vietnam (in the manufacturing sector) on the Corporate Sustainability Index Ranking compiled by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry for eighth consecutive year in 2023. The company was also honoured as one of the top five pioneering businesses in circularity and decarbonisation in Vietnam in 2023.

HEINEKEN Vietnam is a successful joint venture between HEINEKEN and SATRA (Saigon Trading Group). The company has a proud history of over 30 years – growing from the first brewery in Ho Chi Minh City in 1991 to five nationwide with over 3,000 employees today.

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