31 January 2019 – Heineken Malaysia Berhad (HEINEKEN Malaysia) won two awards at the Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) 2018. The brewer of world-class brands including Heineken®️, Tiger, and Guinness received the Best Water Management award, in recognition of its outstanding achievements in reducing water consumption in production. The Best Water Management Award also recognised HEINEKEN Malaysia’s initiatives to protect water resources externally, which resulted in the increase of access to clean water for rural villages in East Malaysia.
In addition to the Best Water Management Award, HEINEKEN Malaysia also received a Special Recognition for Flagship Initiative, in recognition of the Company’s corporate responsibility efforts in river conservation, community empowerment, and strategic partnerships through SPARK Foundation’s W.A.T.E.R (Working Actively Through Education and Rehabilitation) Project.
The achievements at SBA 2018 highlight HEINEKEN Malaysia’s holistic and consistent approach in creating long-term sustainable value across its value chain. SBA 2018, which is organised by Global Initiatives in collaboration with PwC Malaysia, brought together global experts who used a comprehensive framework to assess businesses on sustainability strategy and performance across 12 areas.
Roland Bala, Managing Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia said, “Our achievements at the SBA 2018 is a testament to HEINEKEN Malaysia’s commitment in embracing sustainability from Barley to Bar. We also go beyond our operations to ensure we do our part as a responsible corporate citizen to protect the planet and create value for our stakeholders.”
“In line with HEINEKEN’s global sustainability strategy – Brewing a Better World (BaBW), protecting water resources is a core priority for the Company. Water is a not only a critical resource for our business, it is the source of all life. As part of the world’s second largest brewer, HEINEKEN Malaysia will continue championing the water stewardship agenda, focused on mitigating our operations’ impact and balancing the water we use by investing in water conservation projects,” he added.
From 2014 to 2017, HEINEKEN Malaysia reduced water usage in its Sungei Way Brewery in Petaling Jaya by 16.2%, attributed to improved efficiencies in brewing and packaging, which reduced wastage. However, HEINEKEN Malaysia’s water conservation initiatives go beyond its immediate operations, extending into water stewardship projects through strategic partnerships.
Renuka Indrarajah, Corporate Affairs and Legal Director of HEINEKEN Malaysia said, “Over the past 11 years, we have invested approximately RM8.5 million in driving water conservation projects in Malaysia. Through SPARK Foundation’s W.A.T.E.R Project, which brings together local government agencies, NGOs, and local communities, we have engaged more than 40,000 Malaysians to take charge of conserving rivers, our most important water resource. We also adopted six rivers (Sg. Way, Sg. Penchala, and Sg. Selangor in Selangor, as well as Sg. Senam, Sg. Buntong, and Sg. Kledang in Perak) and set up 12 active river care communities to conserve rivers that flow through their areas.”
“Our focus in East Malaysia is to help increase access to potable water. Since 2012, we have been working with communities in East Malaysia in the areas of environmental conservation and education outreach programmes. Our efforts have resulted in the creation of alternative water access for more than 5,000 people in Sabah, generating an estimated 2.8 million litres of potable water annually for six rural villages.”
As part of its ongoing water stewardship agenda, HEINEKEN Malaysia in 2018 committed to invest another RM2.5 million over the next three years for SPARK Foundation’s W.A.T.E.R Project. HEINEKEN Malaysia remains on track to meet its 2020 Brewing A Better World targets across six focus areas including Protecting Water Resources, Reducing CO2 Emissions, Sourcing Sustainably, Advocating Responsible Consumption, Promoting Health & Safety, and Growing with Communities. For more information on HEINEKEN Malaysia’s sustainability efforts, visit www.heinekenmalaysia.com and www.sparkfoundation.com.my.
