Beer & A Better World - Anheuser-Busch InBev

Water Use
High-quality water is fundamental to our
business. It is a key ingredient in our beers and
soft drinks and is used in the brewing process
for cleaning, cooling and steam production.
The majority of water not used in our products
is then returned to watersheds through
bio-treatment systems that meet local water
quality standards. Water is also an important
consideration in our agricultural businesses and
our raw material supply chain.
Water use is important to our stakeholders,
especially in parts of the world where availability
is limited. Looking to the future, climate change
may also have an impact on water availability,
which could impact our business and the
communities in which we operate.
Conservation continues to be a primary focus in
how we address our water use, while maintaining
our quality standards. Our VPO system guides our
water management practices that all production
plants must comply with regardless of location
or regulatory structures. These practices are
supported by plant-level targets and global
KPIs. Our approach to water efficiency includes
conducting operational reviews to minimize use
and identify opportunities to recycle and reuse,
as well as capital expenditures when justified
by a return in cost savings.
Our Global Water Performance
In 2009, we used 8.5 percent less water per
hectoliter of production than in 2008, and we
have reduced our water use per hectoliter of
production 14.5 percent since 2007. Our pure
soft drink facilities have reduced water use from
2.57 hectoliter per hectoliter to 1.96, a reduction
of 23.7 percent since 2007.
Conservation continues to be a primary
focus in how we address our water use,
while maintaining our quality standards.
Global Citizenship Report 2008-2009 | 15
Total Water Use
Billion hectoliters
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
6.0
4.5
3.0
1.5
0
1.903
1.789
1.626
2007 2008 2009
Water Use per
Hectoliter Production
(hl/hl)
5.03
4.70
4.30
3.50
2007 2008 2009 2012
Target