Heineken Nederland Supply, Zoeterwoude

Professionalisation of sustainability policy

Heineken wanted to consult with a specialist on matters relating to its future with regard to sustainability. Their ambitions are clear: more awareness of environmental impact in their decision-making process, more savings on energy and more sustainability impulses all across the organisation. A lot of attention has been paid to the notion of sustainability at Heineken over the past few years. The company is now ready to take the next step: professionalisation.

Professionalisation of ambitions with regard to sustainability
What did we do for Heineken?

• We established a benchmark through interviewing employees. The result: 'Where does Heineken stand today?'
• Through a number of work sessions and a brainstorm on the need for further development of the notion of sustainability, the following question became clear: 'What are the possibilities?'
• The implementation of sustainable activities within Heineken: e.g. a quarterly discussion with management, more attention to carbon footprint, global purchasing & stakeholder management.

Highlights

• The drive towards sustainability within Heineken is enormous. Heineken wants to become the largest sustainable brewery in the world and is therefore very open to new developments and innovations. Targeted actions have been implemented in a very short space of time.
• During the process it became obvious that Heineken could make significant gains in the field of raw materials.
• The interviews and work sessions provided Heineken with a wide range of insights into sustainability. They also showed that the company needed to listen to its employees and that inspiring leadership was an absolute must.
• There has been an increase in the level of cooperation with other departments at Heineken and with suppliers.