India, Feb. 11 -- For the first time in its history, Carlsberg Group has presented its financial and non-financial results side by side in a combined Annual Report, aligning with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This milestone reflects Carlsberg's ongoing commitment to integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into its business strategy.

Key Highlights from the 2024 Sustainability Statement:

Carlsberg delivered a strong ESG performance in 2024, demonstrating progress across multiple sustainability targets:

Climate Action: Achieved a 3% reduction in relative value chain emissions since 2022 and a 2% reduction in absolute carbon emissions at breweries since 2023, marking a 58% decrease since 2015.

Workplace Safety: Recorded a 15% reduction in lost-time accidents since 2023, contributing to a 69% reduction since 2015.

Sustainable Packaging: Attained a 76% collection and recycling rate for bottles and cans, up 4% from 2019. Increased recycled content in packaging to 43%, up from 34% in 2022.

Water Stewardship: Replenished 16% of the water consumed at breweries in high-risk areas across India, Cambodia, China, and Laos.

Responsible Consumption: Increased the share of no- and low-alcohol brews to 30% of global sales, up from 28.5% in 2023.

Diversity & Inclusion: Achieved the 2024 target of 30% women in senior leadership roles, with notable growth in executive committee representation.

A New Era of ESG Integration

Carlsberg's commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in its business operations, supported by its long-term ESG program, Together Towards ZERO and Beyond. The transition to regenerative agriculture advanced significantly in France, the UK, and Finland, with a new agreement in Denmark for barley grown using regenerative practices, set for use in 2025.

"We have made great strides in recent years to weave ESG into the fabric of the business, ensuring that this essential work gets properly measured, tracked and embedded into our business planning processes. Launching our first combined Annual Report is a great milestone on this journey, and a key enabler for reaching our targets," says Ulrica Fearn, CFO at Carlsberg Group.

Driving Impact Through Partnerships

Collaboration remains a cornerstone of Carlsberg's sustainability strategy, with industry-wide initiatives proving essential to achieving meaningful results. A prime example is packaging, where extensive partnerships have enabled the establishment of efficient deposit return schemes and recycling infrastructure, driving the 76% collection and recycling rate for bottles and cans.

"Our performance in 2024 is due in large part to the long-standing commitment to our ESG agenda, and our focus on creating impact through partnerships and collaboration. A prime example is in the area of packaging. We could not achieve a 76% collection and recycling rate of our bottles and cans without years of hard work in industry-wide partnerships for efficient deposit return schemes and recycling infrastructure across our markets. This is really what we mean when we say Together Towards ZERO and Beyond," says Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, VP Sustainability & ESG at Carlsberg Group.

As Carlsberg moves forward, the company remains committed to advancing its ESG agenda, further embedding sustainability into its business, and continuing its journey Together Towards ZERO and Beyond.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from FoodTechBiz.