SDG 6 in the Beverage Industry

Celebrating 15 Years of BIER

Founded in 2006, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) drives sector actions and alignment, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, and corporate leadership on business-relevant environmental dimensions including water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), climate change and adaptation, circularity and recycling, and sustainable and regenerative agriculture.  For the past 15 years, BIER has been the model of industry collaboration and has continuously advanced the development of sustainable solutions through beverage industry-specific data collection, methodologies, standard-setting, best practice sharing, and thought leadership.

SDG 6 in the Beverage Industry

The Bi-Annual Benchmarking Report

With participation from over 1,900 facilities across six continents representing 17 participating companies, this is the most comprehensive quantitative benchmark study of water and energy use and efficiency in the beverage industry.

Sustainable Development Goals

Research on the Carbon Footprint of Beverages

Individual Research Reports on the Carbon Footprint of Beer, Bottled Water, Carbonated Soft Drinks, Wine, and Spirits. See our publications for more information.

Sustainable Food and Beverage

True Cost of Water Toolkit

The True Cost of Water Toolkit is a pre-designed spreadsheet that can help you quantify the costs associated with your business’ water systems.

Sustainable Food and Beverage

Future Scenarios Toolkit

The Future Scenarios Toolkit will introduce the leadership at your organization to The Future of Sustainability in the Beverage Industry in 2025.

Sustainable Food and Beverage

Beverage Industry Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sector Guidance

The GHG Emissions Sector Guidance aims to enhance and support the estimation, tracking and reporting of GHG emissions within the beverage industry.

Sustainable Food and Beverage

Facility Decarbonization & Context-based Decision Guide for Water

In 2020 BIER published two new work products: The Facility Decarbonization Playbook, which is relevant to any sector as we all must collectively accelerate our efforts to decarbonize, and the Context-based Decision Guide for Water Reuse and Recycling, which is intended to accelerate internal conversations and decisions at the regional and facility level with regards to investments in advancing water stewardship.

Sustainable Food and Beverage

Water Circularity Metrics Tool

Developed in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Water Circularity Metrics Tool is a scenario-based tool providing a practical methodology for businesses to adopt a common metric for water circularity at a facility and enterprise level. The step-by-step process supports more informed decisions to evaluating a specific facility’s water needs, water source options, and determining post-use and discharge options allowing for a transition from linear to more circular and less demanding on the local watershed.

The Future of BIER

2021 marks the year in which BIER is now led by two inaugural co-chairs: Leticia Acosta and Paul Bowen. Leticia Acosta is a newer BIER member; whereas Paul Bowen is a founding member of BIER and recently retired from The Coca-Cola Company. Both share their knowledge, experiences, and visions for the year ahead in the Member Spotlight: Leticia Acosta and Paul Bowen.

A deeper insight into BIER’s 2021 work plans and its first of its kind watershed collaboration, Charco Bendito, is available in our recently recorded webinar
A Model of Industry Collaboration: An Inside Look at the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER).

As 2021 continues to unfold, the following are our current focus areas.

Water Context & Circularity: Promoting the sustainable use and protection of water is a business imperative that BIER is founded on and its members work collectively towards continued leadership. The following are current focus areas:

  • Updated BIER Water Stewardship Framework Definition
  • Wastewater Recycling and Circularity

Carbon & Climate: As climate change awareness and concern continue to increase throughout the world, beverage companies are proactively driving strategies to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their enterprises and monitor changing physical and transitional conditions. The following are current focus areas:

  • Updated BIER GHG Sector Guide
  • Sustainable Coolers of the Future
  • Decarbonization Playbook for Small/Medium Suppliers

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications: Being corporate leaders within environmental sustainability requires that beverage companies look beyond their own operations and engage with a wide range of stakeholders. Active stakeholder engagement and sharing work products have been and will always remain a mainstay of BIER activity. The following are current focus areas:

  • BIER Benchmarking Study
  • Mission-Focused Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

 

BIER member collaboration at the recent meeting.

The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) is a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies working together to advance environmental sustainability within the beverage sector. Formed in 2006, BIER is a common voice across the beverage sector, speaking to influence global standards on environmental sustainability aspects most relevant to the sector, affect change both up and down the supply chain and share best practices that raise the bar for environmental performance of the industry. By doing so, BIER is able to monitor data and trends, engage with key stakeholders, develop best practices, and guide a course of action for the future.

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