• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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International Breweries’ sustainability report shows commitment to responsible business

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International Breweries Plc, a part of AB Inbev, has launched its maiden sustainability report, which displays a commitment to running a responsible business and contributing to building a sustainable society.

Themed ‘Driving Sustainability for a Better World,’ the report, which was prepared with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, highlighting IBPLC’S commitments, progress, challenges and opportunities in 2019. It covers brewing activities across the company’s four plants in Anambra, Ogun, Osun and Rivers states, including its head office in Lagos State and other states of the federation where the company extends its impact.

Hugo Rocha, managing director, International Breweries Plc, said the report showcases the company’s commitment to running a responsible business that is focused on the triple-bottomline approach.

Beyond profit-making, he said, IBPLC is dedicated to entrenching sustainability in its operations, ensuring that its activities do not impact negatively on stakeholders, and committing to the core vision of ‘Bringing People Together for a Better World.’

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“We are proud of our work and commitment to our Global AB Inbev 2025 sustainability goals in Water Stewardship, Climate Action, Circular Packaging, Smart Agriculture and Smart Drinking. These form the bedrock of our sustainability programmes across our value chain as we aim to continue to contribute significantly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGS). We also pledge to continue to contribute to improving our planet, our people and the prosperity of all,” he assured.

Olugbenga Awomolo, a board member/chairman of IBPLC’S Board Committee on Sustainability and Risk Management, said at the launch of the report in Lagos recently, that it’s a testament of IBPLC’S journey as a business in recent times and a consolidation of socioeconomic footprint across the entire operation.

“We remain committed to entrenching sustainability across our business operations. We will proactively continue to drive compliance in meeting local and global regulatory requirements as we continue to grow the business to the benefit of our stakeholders,” he said.

Temitope Oguntokun, legal and corporate affairs director, said the company’s impact on society is centred not just around its 2025 sustainability goals but on social investment pillars of health, empowerment, education and infrastructural support.

To achieve this, Oguntokun said the company inaugurated the International Breweries Foundation (IBF) intending to have a structured platform for executing its projects and obtaining stakeholders’ support on delivering its commitments.

Oguntokun further added that in line with Goal 17 of the UNSDG’S, the company is partnering with its peers in the industry which has helped it to have a wide-reaching impact in the country.

“Our partnerships under the Beer Sectoral Group ( BSG) with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of Education on the SMASHED programme has helped us to reach over 14,000 students in 60 schools across Nigeria with our anti-underage drinking campaign. In the same breath, our alliance with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) has seen to contribute significantly to the industry achievement of recycling 669,068kg of plastic waste in 2019 versus 14,900kg in 2018,” she added.