Performance in 2007
During the year, we marginally reduced our specific water consumption from 5.22 hl/hl to 5.15 hl/hl, which is close to our target of 5.1 hl/hl.
In 2007 more than 80 per cent of our breweries complied with the maximum limit of 7 hectolitres of water per hectolitre beer brewed as set out in our ‘Aware of Water’ programme. Two of the non-compliant breweries were acquired in the course of 2006.
The effluent organic load discharged to surface water decreased from 33.7 ktonnes in 2006 to 28.1 ktonnes in 2007. The decrease is largely the result of over-reporting in 2006 by some of our production units in Russia, due to a misinterpretation of definitions.
We are approximately halfway towards realising our waste-water treatment plant programme in Africa. Since the start of the programme in 2002, nine waste-water treatment plants have been installed or are under construction leaving seven which are yet to be started.