Budweiser Invests in Renewable Energy

Budweiser, an Anheuser-Busch brand, recently announced that the company will be aiming towards utilizing 100 percent renewable energy in all their beer brewing facilities by 2025. Budweiser has already begun this initiative and is labeling their beer cans with a renewable energy symbol to identify which products were sustainably produced.

According to the release, the sustainability label will be marked on every Budweiser beer that is brewed in the US by the end of spring. This will make America the first country to have a beer brewing process that uses 100 percent renewable energy. The company will be sourcing their electricity from the Oklahoma-based Thunder Ranch Wind Farm which is powered by Enel Green Power.

Budweiser debuted their new sustainable energy symbol at the World Economic Forum. They also encouraged other companies to adapt this initiative and support efforts to reduce climate change. The company gave out permission to use this symbol on any brand that is utilizing 100 percent renewable energy.

“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,” said Tony Milikin, Chief Sustainability Officer.

The Hartman Group released a 2017 study that found consumer interest in sustainability efforts to be on the rise.

“In 2017, consumers view sustainability more holistically than ever before, as encompassing interconnected sets of issues related to being both a responsible consumer and a responsible citizen,” said the report’s highlights.

This trend has been adopted by many major food companies as they try to keep up with changing consumer demands. Last month, McDonalds announced their new initiative to use 100 percent sustainable packaging in all their fast food chains globally by 2025. Consumers are even looking towards insects as a source of sustainable protein along with lab-grown meat products.

Budweiser is one of Anheuser-Busch’s leading brands and is the third most popular beer in the US; Bud Light comes in as the second most popular. However, the company’s biggest market is international with two out of three Buds consumed outside of the US. About 41 million Budweiser products are sold around the world daily. The amount of energy Budweiser will be able to save when the company fully transitions global breweries to sustainable practices is the equivalent of 48,000 passenger cars off the road annually.

“We know that climate change is an important issue for consumers, but they aren’t sure how their everyday actions can make a difference. The renewable electricity symbol can show consumers that their purchasing choices can have a positive impact,” said Brian Perkins, Global VP at Budweiser.