The Asahi Group revamped its management structure in April to enhance its group governance. The change included appointment of the Group Chief Sustainability Officer (Group CSO) to Asahi Group Holdings to spearhead our core strategy to integrate sustainability into management, a commitment we are determined to achieve for the people and the planet. We asked Drahomira Mandikova, our first Group CSO, her priorities and vision to make the world shine brighter .

It is an exciting time for Asahi as we undergo this crucial transformation to become a truly global company. I am honored and passionate about advancing our unwavering commitment to sustainability and the comprehensive strategy guiding our path to sustainable growth. Ambitious targets that push us to do better are central to our sustainability strategy. For example, this February, Asahi Group Holdings moved forward its carbon emissions target by a decade and committed to achieving net zero by 2040. Asahi cannot do this alone; we have established a new global procurement organizations to enhance collaboration with our partners to meet this target. As we see our results in 2023, achieving a 32% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 and a 12% reduction in Scope 3 compared to 2019, we have been gaining a lot of experience and believe this is a right direction.
We’ve also set challenging targets across key areas such as packaging, agricultural raw materials, water resources, human rights, and social impact on the local communities. These targets inspire us to keep doing the right things throughout our organization.

Packaging is one of the most visible environmental concerns consumers have voiced in our surveys. By 2030, Asahi Group Holdings' goal is to use only lower environmental impact materials such as recycled bio-based materials for plastic bottles. To help achieve this, we have constructed two PET recycling plants in Australia with our joint venture partners Pact Group, Cleanaway Waste Management and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The second of these facilities opened late last year and was supported by the Australian Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund and the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy – Recycling Modernisation Fund.

Related to our Net Zero journey, we have a brewery in the Netherlands on the path to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Our Grolsch brewery uses a combination of power sources such as heat and solar panels and increases efficiency in its manufacturing process and packaging to meet its goal. Grolsch is the frontrunner in this area in our group as they began their efforts many years ago collaborating with local partners and with the support of local government.

The recycling plant and the brewery I mentioned here demonstrate our tangible results. These best practices are shared within the group and serve as guiding posts to lead us to create more such examples and to achieve our targets.

The world is constantly changing, and trends concerning alcohol consumption are not an exception. Even in the last five years, COVID pandemic has changed how we socialize and consume alcohol. Regulators such as WHO are increasingly concerned about impact of alcohol misuse on health.

As a global player in the alcohol industry, we are addressing these trends by bringing new product choices to consumers, promoting moderation and education related to alcohol responsibility. Our "Responsible Drinking Ambassador" initiativestarts with our employees to spread understanding on how to enjoy alcohol responsibly. We also actively participate in various industry associations to address harmful drinking. Our target to achieve 20% in no- and low-alcohol beverage sales composition by 2030 indicates our unwavering commitment to promoting responsible drinking. A shift in sales composition ratio is a significant change in commercial strategy, so we are actively engaging with our businesses to make this happen.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of our sustainability strategy. We recognize that no single company can solve the world's most pressing challenges alone. That's why we are proud to see the results of our recent survey suggesting that many of the stakeholders we engage with trust us. Trust creates more robust connections that push us to bring forward not only our existing initiatives but also new and innovative approaches that are still in incubation to achieve our ambitious targets for our people and the planet.

In addition to developing the Sustainability team that plays a critical role in spearheading our Sustainability strategy, I encourage everyone in Asahi Group to take part in making the world more sustainable, and in making the world shine brighter. We regularly engage with our employees through information sessions and volunteering activities to foster a culture of sustainability. We want our employees to be agents of change in the organization and in their communities and beyond.

Our commitment to the people and the planet remains steadfast. We will continue striving to achieve our ambitious targets and beyond, drive innovation, and create more connections between people, nature, and our communities. These connections foster collaborations with our partners, suppliers, and consumers so that together, we can achieve a brighter world today and in the future. We are serious about making the world shine, so please stay tuned for more updates from Asahi Group.

Read more about Asahi Group’s sustainability initiatives in our latest Sustainability Report