Sustainability - Brauunion Austria

„Brewing a better world“
OUR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

We as Brau Union Österreich have defined a clear sustainability goal: Creating the best beer culture for the future and shaping the Austrian beer culture after social and ecological challenges, for the sake of us all.

We’re putting that goal in to practice, according to HEINEKEN’s strategy „Brewing a better world“. This strategy incorporates all of our business units, beginning from the natural resources on the fields, to our production locations all the way to our clients and consumers. Our sustainable development strategy is based on six focal points with their respective ambitious goals:

Our strategy „Brewing a better world“ is also oriented towards the so-called „2030 Agenda for sustainable development“, which was drafted by the United Nations in September 2015. We’ve made it our mission to fulfill the 17 global United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their 169 underlying subgoals.

The graphic above shows what our six focal points can contribute to the global development goals. For instance, responsible consumption supports goal no. 3 of the agenda („Healthy living and well-being of humans of every age“) just as well as our focal point of health and safety at work. Our focal point of sustainable procurement supports goal no. 8 („Good workplaces and economic growth“) and goal no.12 („Ensurement of sustainable means of consumption and production“).

RECENT PROJECTS

GREEN BREWERY GÖSS

Creating the best beer culture for the future for the sake of nature and coming generations. This is the one shared vision that the Gösser brewery is working towards. Through countless initiatives, the brewery is pushing the use of renewables while simultaniously cutting its consumption of thermal energy, electricity and fuels:

Approximately 40% of the required thermal energy is covered by the waste heat from a nearby wood processing operationt
Another 50% of the thermal energy demand comes from biogas generated from their new spent grain fermentation facility
An additional 5-10% comes from the wasteewater treating plant
The brewery also uses environmentally friendly solar energy generated from a solar thermal system spreading on 1.500 m²

The total of 100% of the energy demand is covered by renewable sources, while at the same time 90% of the produced waste heat is used again. Since 2016, the brewery in Göss is officially producing 100% sustainably. To reward this commitment to sustainability, the brewery was certified and awarded multiple times before, with for example: The „Energy Globe Austria“, the EU Sustainable Energy Award and EU Public Citizens Choice Award, and the edie Sustainability Leaders Award last year.

brEWERY schladming

BECOMING AUSTRIA’S NEXT GREEN BREWERY

Brau Union Österreich is making further investments into sustainable production in 2019. Besides the brewery in Göss, another Styrian brewery will be producing sustainably soon: The Schladminger brewery, renowned for its „bio-beers“, will be changing operation to a new energy concept. Back in December 2018, the brewery got connected to their local district heat network which delivers one fifth of the energy needed for production. In order to be able to support particularly energy consuming steps of the brewing process such as cooking the brewer’s wort from renewables, a pellet-based heating system will be installed over the next couple of months. By midyear, Schladminger beer will be brewed solely using renewable energy.

BRAUQUARTIER PUNTIGAM

„BEERY“ HEAT
FOR 2.000 PEOPLE

The Brauquartier Puntigam („Brewing quarter Puntigam“) project is a modern urban planning project in the Graz district of Puntigam, located right next to the Puntigam brewery. „Together instead of side-by-side“, the whole project’s defining mantra, is put into action by offering a variety of shopping facilities, a kindergarden, a hairdresser, a gym and a lot more to ist residents. This little microcosm also offers guest appartments or common rooms. It’s not just the quality of life what defines this unique residence complex, but also quite simple the source of its heat.

In a unique cooperation, the Puntigam brewery and energy supplier KELAG joined forces to work out a sustainable energy concept for this new district oft own: The waste heat deriving from the brewing process is used to the benefit of the 800 flats, office spaces or commercial spaces of Brauquartier, which was developped by the Austrian real estate giants C&P. A large number of residents and shop owners are already supplied with brewing heat, leading to an estimated final stage energy output of 3,8 million kilowatt hours delivered to all Brauquartier residents.

BREWERY SCHWECHAT

INNOVATIVE WASTE HEAT PROJECT FOR 900 NEWLY BUILT HOMES

The next couple of years will see the construction of 900 new homes on the premises of Schwechat’s brewery. To supply these flats with sustainable heat, Brau Union Österreich and EVN have come up with an innovative concept: Fermentation heat from the brewing process will be brought to the clients using a heat pump, supplying them with sustainable natural heating.

DOWNLOADS

Download our latest sustainability reports as PDF files:

2017	>> Download
2016	>> Download
2015	>> Download

CONTACT

For further inquiries or detailed information about our sustainability projects, feel free to contact us.

MAG. DR. GABRIELA MARIA
STRAKA

Head of Communication / PR& CSR

Press Officer

Certified Beer Sommeliere

BRAU UNION ÖSTERREICH AG

t: +43 732/6979-2670
t: +43 664/8381 864
m: g.straka@brauunion.com

„Brewing a better world“ OUR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY