The World’s Largest Brewer Commits To 100% Renewable Electricity

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The world’s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of such beers as Corona, Budweiser, and Stella Artois, has announced it has committed to transitioning to a 100% renewable electricity future by 2025.

The maker of some of the world’s most beloved beers, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) announced this week a commitment to secure 100% of the company’s purchased electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. This works out to a total of 6 terawatt-hours of electricity annually across all its markets, and according to AB “will help transform the energy industry in countries like Argentina, Brazil, India, and South Africa.”

“Climate change has profound implications for our company and for the communities where we live and work,” said AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito. “Cutting back on fossil fuels is good for the environment and good for business, and we are committed to helping drive positive change. We have the opportunity to play a leading role in the battle against climate change by purchasing energy in a more sustainable way.”

AB InBev has committed to securing at least 75-85% of its renewable electricity through direct Power Purchase Agreements, with the remaining 15-25% primarily coming from on-site solar projects.

According to AB InBev, this new 100% renewable electricity commitment will make the company the world’s largest corporate direct purchase of renewable electricity in the consumer goods sector, and should result in lowering the company’s operational carbon footprint by 30% — essentially the equivalent of taking nearly 500,000 cars off the road.

“Before long, we will see every Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois made with 100% renewable power and it makes business sense, with financial savings, job creation and emissions cuts on offer,” said Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100 at The Climate Group. “AB Inbev is significantly boosting demand for renewables around the world, showing just the kind of leadership we need to slow climate change and speed a low carbon economy, inspiring other companies right along the value chain.”

AB InBev has already signed its first Power Purchase Agreement with Spanish electric company Iberdrola for 490 gigawatt-hours of wind power per year in Mexico for its largest brewery, in Zacatecas. The move along will see Iberdrola build and install 220 megawatts of wind energy capacity onshore in the Mexican state of Puebla, with electricity generation commencing in the first half of 2019, helping to increase the country’s total wind and solar energy capacity by more than 5%.

“As the world’s greatest purchasers and users of energy, business and industries are best positioned to lead the shift from fossil fuel to renewables and reach the ambitions set out in the Paris Agreement”, said Jeanett Bergan, Head of Responsible Investments at KLP. “A clear message from corporates on a shift from fossil fuel to renewables is a language investors can understand. Collaboration among investors and owners of companies to push this agenda is most effective and powerful in driving the change.”


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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