- Budweiser to launch the symbol in the U.S. this spring, rolling out to additional international markets by 2025
- Symbol will be made available to other companies and brands to celebrate their own renewable electricity commitments
January 24th, 2018: Budweiser is launching a renewable electricity symbol that indicates when a Budweiser beer is brewed with 100% renewable electricity. Budweiser is committed to brewing all of its beers around the world with 100% renewable electricity by 2025, in line with parent company AB InBev’s commitment to source all purchased electricity from renewable sources.
The symbol will appear on the label of every Budweiser brewed in the United States beginning in spring 2018 - the first country where the beer will be brewed using 100% renewable electricity. The U.S. electricity will be sourced from the Thunder Ranch Wind Farm in Oklahoma, which is powered by Enel Green Power. The label will reach 6.3 million people the U.S. and will roll out to additional markets as they reach 100% renewable electricity in their Budweiser brewing operations.
Budweiser is inviting other brands to adopt the symbol to help build a movement to celebrate renewable electricity use as a way to tackle climate change. Budweiser is encouraging other brands to use the symbol on any product that is made using 100% renewable electricity.
Budweiser is committed to a building a brighter future and is proud to use its iconic brand to play a role in driving meaningful change on a global scale. 41 million Budweisers are sold on average every day around the world, and switching to renewable electricity in Budweiser brewing operations will correspond to taking 48,000 passenger cars off the road every year.
Brian Perkins, Global VP at Budweiser, said: “We know that climate change is an important issue for consumers. However, they aren’t sure how their everyday actions can make a difference. The renewable electricity symbol helps consumers make smarter everyday choices that can have a positive, meaningful impact.” Tony Milikin, Chief Sustainability Officer of AB InBev, added: “To brew the perfect beer we need the highest quality natural ingredients. This is why we’re working to ensure a thriving, sustainable environment for the next 100 years and beyond.” Budweiser is working alongside a number of NGOs and with Accenture to develop a process and guidelines to encourage other brands to adopt the symbol. Peter Lacy, Global Managing Director of Growth, Strategy & Sustainability at Accenture, said: “We’re proud to work with Budweiser on this innovative ambition. We know that consumers are key to a sustainable economy, and we encourage other consumer goods brands to celebrate their own journeys to renewable electricity.” Speaking on behalf of the RE100, a group of companies committed to 100% renewable power, The Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson said: “Leading companies know it makes business sense to switch to renewables and cut greenhouse emissions. But to deliver on the Paris Agreement, we need to go further and faster. I am delighted to see that Budweiser is taking a leading position on renewable electricity in the US as part of parent company AB Inbev’s commitment to going 100% renewable globally through the RE100 campaign.”
About Budweiser
Budweiser, an American-style lager, was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States' first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes. Each batch of Budweiser stays true to the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brewmasters. Budweiser is a medium-bodied, flavorful, crisp and pure beer with blended layers of premium American and European hop aromas, brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment. Budweiser is made using time-honored methods including "kraeusening" for natural carbonation and Beechwood aging, which results in unparalleled balance and character.
About Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium, with secondary listings on the Mexico (MEXBOL: ANB) and South Africa (JSE: ANH) stock exchanges and with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUD). Our Dream is to bring people together for a better world. Beer, the original social network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years. We are committed to building great brands that stand the test of time and to brewing the best beers using the finest natural ingredients. Our diverse portfolio of well over 500 beer brands includes global brands Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; multi-country brands Beck’s®, Castle®, Castle Lite®, Hoegaarden® and Leffe®; and local champions such as Aguila®, Antarctica®, Bud Light®, Brahma®, Cass®, Chernigivske®, Cristal®, Harbin®, Jupiler®, Klinskoye®, Michelob Ultra®, Modelo Especial®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Sedrin®, Sibirskaya Korona® and Skol®. Our brewing heritage dates back more than 600 years, spanning continents and generations. From our European roots at the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium. To the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery in St. Louis, US. To the creation of the Castle Brewery in South Africa during the Johannesburg gold rush. To Bohemia, the first brewery in Brazil. Geographically diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing markets, we leverage the collective strengths of approximately 200,000 employees based in more than 50 countries worldwide.
More information on the Budweiser renewable electricity commitment
AB InBev’s Global Commitment
- All purchased electricity for brewing will be sourced from renewables by 2025 = 6,000 gwh
- AB InBev’s commitment will reduce the company’s operational carbon footprint by 30%
- This will lead to the elimination of 2.4 million metric tons of CO2 by 2025 = equivalent of taking 500,000 passenger vehicles off the road each year
Budweiser Scale (based on 2017 annual data)
- Bottles sold per year (serving size = 330ml) = 15 billion
- Bottles sold per day = 41 million
- Bottles sold per hour = 1.7 million
- Bottles sold per second = 480
U.S. Renewable Electricity
- Through a virtual PPA, Enel will sell to Anheuser-Busch as much renewable electricity as is used to brew more than 15 billion 330ml servings (20 billion 12 oz. servings) of beer each year
- The renewable electricity output delivered to Anheuser-Busch in the U.S. is the equivalent of:
- Taking 85,000 passenger vehicles off the road every year
- Powering 50,000 U.S. households for a year
- Reducing emissions by 400,000 tonnes of CO2 every year
- Thunder Ranch Wind Farm is 50,000 acres, 23 miles wide with 120 turbines
- The renewable electricity symbol will reach 6.3 million people per year (6.3 million current U.S. Budweiser drinkers)
