Sustainable Energy

Beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev commits to 100 percent renewable energy

Jasper Juinen | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Brewing powerhouse Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has committed to secure all of its purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

In an announcement on Tuesday, the business said that its commitment would help to "shift 6 terawatt-hours of electricity annually to renewable sources in the markets where AB InBev operates."

It added that its decision to go big on renewable energy would cut its operational carbon footprint by 30 percent, equivalent to taking almost 500,000 cars off the road.

AB InBev said that it expected to get 75 to 85 percent of electricity from direct power purchasing agreements, with the rest coming from technologies, including solar panels, used on site.

"Climate change has profound implications for our company and for the communities where we live and work," AB InBev Chief Executive Carlos Brito said in a statement.

"Cutting back on fossil fuels is good for the environment and good for business, and we are committed to helping drive positive change," he added. "We have the opportunity to play a leading role in the battle against climate change by purchasing energy in a more sustainable way."

The brewer also announced that it had joined the RE100, an initiative made up of some of the planet's biggest businesses, all committed to renewable energy.

"AB Inbev is significantly boosting demand for renewables around the world, showing just the kind of leadership we need to slow climate change and speed a low carbon economy, inspiring other companies right along the value chain," Sam Kimmins, head of RE100 at The Climate Group, said.