Download the Sustainable Development Summary ... - SABMiller

6 SABMiller plc Sustainable Development Summary Report 2011
Discouraging irresponsible drinking
Working to combat alcohol abuse and provide balanced and accurate
information on alcohol consumption to consumers and stakeholders.
Why this is a priority
We want our consumers to enjoy our beer
responsibly. We know that most people who
drink our beer do so in moderation, in relaxing and
convivial circumstances. However, we also know
that a minority drink too much, drink while under
age or drink and drive, and potentially cause harm
to themselves and those around them.
We do not support, encourage or condone alcohol
abuse: it is simply not in our commercial interests
to do so nor is it in line with our values. This is why
we share common goals with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) as outlined in its Global
Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol.
Ensuring high standards to combat
alcohol abuse
SABMiller has six core principles that underpin
its approach to combating alcohol abuse. These
principles are supported by our Alcohol Policy
Framework, which consists of a range of alcohol
policies, position papers and guidelines.
In 2010 we reviewed, refreshed and updated
this framework to make sure we continue to
engage with, and respond to, the expectations of
our stakeholders and society at large in relation to
alcohol abuse and the harm it causes. We provide
regular training for our employees to keep them up
to date, and over the past 12 months our businesses
have trained more than 80% of their employees on
average in alcohol responsibility and our policies.
Working with policy makers and being
part of the solution
Alcohol abuse is a complex, multi-faceted problem.
It requires a comprehensive response from a variety
of stakeholders including governments, the public
health community, the alcohol industry, law
enforcers, parents and families.
We seek to engage with our stakeholders,
particularly NGOs and health experts, to share
knowledge and benefit from their insights. This
engagement may be at a global level – co-operating
with the WHO or working in partnership with the
International Centre for Alcohol Policy, for example
– or at a local level as in our work with bartenders,
waiters, and managers in El Salvador.
Building trust and sharing balanced and
accurate information
People abuse alcohol for different reasons. While
we believe that consumers must be responsible
for their own actions with regard to alcohol we also
believe it is crucial to understand the contributing
factors, so we can understand the influence we
may have and what measures we can implement
to address them. We commission independent
research to help us do so. In December 2010, for
example, we asked UK think-tank Demos to identify
the causes of so-called ‘binge drinking’ among
18-24 year olds. The initial findings of this work
have been published on the Demos website
(www.demos.co.uk), and further research is now
underway which will be published later in 2011.
Our TalkingAlcohol.com website remains an
important part of the way we provide balanced
and accurate information to consumers and other
stakeholders. Now available in nine language
versions (Czech, Dutch, English, Hungarian, Italian,
Polish, Romanian, Russian and Spanish), the website
received 311,605 different visitors in the past year.
SABMiller also aims to place responsible drinking
messages on all its product packaging and
marketing materials by March 2012. This has so far
been done, for example, in the US, the UK, Poland,
the Czech Republic, Romania, Colombia, Uganda
and South Africa.
Working with our partners to encourage
responsible consumption
Across SABMiller, we work closely with a range
of partner organisations to discourage the
irresponsible consumption of alcohol and its effects.
In South Africa, for example, we are working
with the NGO FASfacts to address Foetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS) which is a common preventable
form of intellectual disability. South Africa has one
of the highest recorded incidences of FAS globally.
Also in South Africa, the Tavern Intervention
Programme (TIP) run by SAB Ltd will work with over
4,000 men to address issues including irresponsible
drinking. For more details see page 13.
In the Czech Republic, we are partnering with
local NGO SANANIM, to provide the Promile
INFO service, which allows responsible consumers
to check the approximate level of alcohol in their
blood by text message or the internet. Since its
launch five years ago, the service has been used
over 110,000 times.
Offering choice and alternative products
for consumers
In some parts of the world, particularly in developing
and emerging markets, we are concerned about
the consumption of ‘non-commercial’ alcohol. In
response, our businesses are expanding their brand
choices to include high quality, affordable beers
made from locally sourced crops such as sorghum
and cassava. Eagle Lager is one example.
We also recognise an increasing demand for
low and non-alcohol beers. One of the many
products we offer, the Czech brand Birell was
named the best Ultra Low Alcohol Beer at the 2011
Brewing Industry International Awards. Many of
our businesses also produce a range of soft drinks
and SABMiller is one of the world’s largest bottlers
of Coca-Cola products.
Go online for more information
www.sabmiller.com/sd
Priority
in action
Eagle Lager was the first
sorghum ‘clear beer’ to be
introduced in Uganda by
a leading brewery. Today,
Eagle accounts for around
50% of all SABMiller beer
sold in the country.
It was introduced, in part,
to tackle the consumption
of ‘non-commercial’ alcohol
by offering consumers a safe,
affordable, high quality beer
from locally grown sorghum.
Since the first commercial
production in 2002, the
number of Ugandan
smallholders supplying
sorghum to brew Eagle has
grown to over 9,000 with
considerable benefits to local
economic development.
Selected 2012 target
Work towards our goal that
100% of global brand labels
carry a responsibility message
that conforms to the SABMillerapproved
standards.
Go online for more 2012
targets for this priority.