SABMiller plc, London, is scaling up its sustainable development programs with a set of new targets to achieve by 2020. The following initiatives are part of the company’s pledge:

• Directly support more than 500,000 small businesses to help them grow, improve their livelihoods and drive local development
• Achieve a world-class water efficiency target of 3 liters per liter of beer and secure the water supplies it shares with local communities through watershed partnerships at every site that faces water risks
• Reduce the carbon footprint of the entire value chain from grain to glass by 25 percent per liter of beer and an average of 50 percent across all of its breweries
• Measurably improve food security and resource productivity by developing targets by crop and growing region
• Encourage moderate and responsible alcohol consumption by scaling up global and local programs to reach all SABMiller beer consumers

This new program, branded Prosper, is the latest evolution of the company’s approach to sustainable development, a key element of SABMiller’s business strategy. At the heart of this program is supporting the role that small businesses play around the world in generating economic growth and reducing poverty. SABMiller is using its value chains from farmers to retailers to drive inclusive growth, sustainable resource use and alcohol responsibility.

“Today society faces major challenges, and the stakes are getting higher: poverty, water scarcity, climate change, food security and alcohol-related harm all demand urgent attention to secure a prosperous future,” said SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark in a statement. “These pressing issues are shared by communities, businesses and governments, and we must solve them together. Only those companies that are prepared to be part of the solution will be successful in the long term, and that’s why this approach is integral to our business strategy.”

Andy Wales, director of sustainable development for SABMiller, added: “Beer is essentially a local product, and we have deep roots in the local communities where it is brewed and consumed. Our business-focused approach to sustainability has already developed innovative models of watershed protection, created new beers using local crops such as sorghum and cassava, and driven significant cost savings from carbon and water efficiency. This is a natural next step to support our future growth path.”