Renewable Energy? The Holes in AB InBev’s Green Promises
Posted on March 06, 2024 in AB InBev, Manipulation, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, The AmericasAB InBev’s 2023 Annual Report is filled with grand claims about sustainability, but beneath the surface, it’s the same old corporate greenwashing. The company highlights its commitment to renewable energy, emissions reductions, and water stewardship, but the reality is far less impressive.
The claim of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources sounds ambitious, but it conveniently ignores the bigger picture. First, it’s not yet fully implemented, and the claim only applies to the energy used in AB InBev’s core operations, not the far larger environmental impact of its supply chain. From agriculture to transportation and packaging, the majority of emissions come from sources beyond their factories. These emissions are conveniently downplayed while the company presents a carefully crafted sustainability narrative.
AB InBev also claims to have reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but the framing is misleading. While they report an absolute reduction in emissions from their direct operations, when discussing their full footprint, they shift to relative reductions based on emissions intensity. This means that even if total emissions are increasing, the company can still claim progress as long as production grows at a faster rate.
Their water stewardship claims follow the same pattern. AB InBev highlights investments in watershed conservation and improvements in high-stress areas, but the focus is ultimately on securing its own future water supply, not protecting communities. In regions where water scarcity is a growing crisis, the company positions itself as part of the solution, but there is little transparency about whether these efforts benefit local populations or simply ensure the brewery’s access to resources.
These sustainability claims are designed to generate good PR, not to reflect real accountability. By selectively reporting numbers and shifting focus away from the full environmental cost of their business, AB InBev is doing what Big Alcohol does best—prioritizing profits while presenting itself as part of the solution.
Manipulation is Big Alcohol’s activity to control its image. The alcohol industry engages in manipulation activities to protect and cultivate their image and the values of their brands. Deploying manipulation strategies serves for Big Alcohol to appear as “good corporate citizens”. The focus of the DUBIOUS FIVE strategy of manipulation is the alcohol company, their brands and value. Examples are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), green-washing, pink-washing, rainbow-washing, or white-washing activities.