World Water Week: How Heineken is Improving Watershed Health

It is World Water Week, an annual event that aims to tackle some of the biggest water related challenges globally. 

Heineken has released a statement outlining what it is doing to reduce the impact of breweries in water-stressed areas. 

Sonia Thimmiah, Senior Director of Global Sustainability, Heineken said on LinkedIn: “We are halfway through World Water Week in Stockholm, and we are delighted that our very own Global Water Stewardship Lead, Francisco Herrera Velázquez, is representing us on the ground making connections to help drive the water agenda forward collectively with others.

“For Heineken, water is essential to our products: without water, there is no beer. 

“By adopting a value chain approach, we aim to address water not only in our own operations but also within communities where we operate and upstream with our suppliers.

“Our 2030 water strategy, Towards Healthy Watersheds and Nature, focuses on water efficiency and long-term restoration of priority watersheds, especially in water-stressed areas.”

What is Heineken’s Watershed project?

The project is part of Heineken's Brew a Better World sustainability ambition, with a focus on delivering healthier watersheds and creating a water positive impact.

Heineken has reported that its water efficiency has improved by 33% since 2008 and ensured that all its water waste has been treated before discharge. 

The company reports that it has a three step approach to water risk assessment:

• As part of the company-wide risk annual risk assessment, production units must complete ‘Water Security Self Assessment’
• At least one every five years Heineken conducts a Global Water Risk Screening for all operations, the screening combines Water Risk Aqueduct tool from WRI and work with geospatial services provider 52Impact, to conclude an assessment on breweries that might be in water-stressed areas
• If a brewery is reported to potentially be water stressed, it must conduct a local, Source Vulnerability Assessment. This aims to identify risks like sufficient water quantity, quality and accessibility that are then evaluated from angles such as physical, environmental, social, political, economic and regulatory perception. Also covering extreme events,  expected impacts of climate change and present & future water conditions. 

If the assessment reports that a person is in a water stressed area the brewery is entered into the water balancing programme part of the 2030 water strategy.

Breweries must develop a Source Water Protection Plan safeguarding water sources for short, medium and long term.

Alongside the plan, breweries are obligated to develop a roadmap of water balancing, water circularity and water efficiency that aim to reduce the pressure on watersheds.

Joanna Price, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Heineken says: “Four years into developing and executing our Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, sustainability and responsibility are now an integral part of how we operate. 

“I am proud of the progress we’ve made but I know there is more for us to do as we navigate challenges and trade- offs. 

“Brew a Better World remains the foundation as we continue to learn, evolve and partner with others to deliver our goals.”

What is the expected outcome of the project?

Heineken says it is determined to contribute to the UN SDGs, as water quality and quantity are essential for brewing as well as accessibility to water being critical to vulnerable communities the company is based in.

It reports that the company’s strategy aligns with the SDG6 to address company wide and basin-level measures and standards, setting out four targets: 

• Create safe and affordable drinking water, through WASH and water balancing activities 
• Improve water quality, wastewater treatment and safe reuse, building three wastewater plants and six water reclamation plants 
• Ensure freshwater supplies and increase water use efficiency, developing roadmaps to support healthy watersheds by 2030
• Protect and restore water-related ecosystems, implementing water balancing activities at the watersheds.

Francisco Herrera Velázquez, Global Water Sustainability Head at Heineken said on Linkedin: “Water is fundamental to life as we know it and yet fresh water is increasingly scarce. And no water means no beer.

“At The HEINEKEN Company, throughout our 160-year history, water has been a constant area of focus. 

“Back in 1864, when Gerard Adriaan Heineken opened the first Heineken brewery in Amsterdam, clean water supply was also established for the local communities because businesses can only thrive when our communities do well.”

What is World Water Week?

Since 1991 World Water Week has held an annual conference on global water issues.

The organisation reports that through various collaborations the non profit events help create solutions to the world’s greatest water-related challenges. 

Various topics are tackled such as food security, health, agriculture, technology, biodiversity and climate risk. 

In the 2024 conference the week held 15,000 registered participants from 198 countries and territories.