by Suman Gupta
This move accelerates Bira 91’s ‘Mission to Zero’ initiative; to become India’s first net-zero beer company by 2025
National, April 21st, 2023: Celebrating Earth Day 2023, Bira 91 today declared the carbon neutrality of its Mysuru brewery making it India’s first Net Zero brewery. This milestone exemplifies Bira 91’s unwavering dedication to sustainability, as it continues to work towards its goal of becoming India’s first Net-Zero beer company by 2025, through its “Mission To Zero” initiative.
Through an aggressive, 360 degree action plan to reduce energy use at its largest brewery in Mysuru, and transition to a 100% clean, renewable energy, Bira 91’s cut Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions significantly to achieve this milestone.
Its carbon emissions for calendar year 2022 were independently assessed and certified by TÜV NORD, one of the world’s leading agencies to assess carbon footprint of companies. The assessment was done in compliance with global ISO 14064 standards, GHG Protocol and ISAE 3410.
Speaking of the milestone, Ankur Jain, Founder and CEO, B9 Beverages, said, “At Bira 91, we believe that beer can be even more flavorful if produced in sync with nature. We embarked on the Net-Zero journey a few years back and I am extremely proud that Mysuru Brewery has set a major milestone by becoming India’s first Net-Zero brewery. The Mission to Zero is perhaps the most important work that our company is doing. With a significant manufacturing footprint in India, we feel that we have the responsibility and opportunity to be stewards in the area of carbon neutrality and inspire all manufacturing companies in India to achieve Net Zero. I congratulate our Net Zero Team for working hard and with creativity to achieve what could have seemed unachievable when we announced this goal last year”.
Bira 91 embarked on its sustainability journey with the launch of the ‘Mission to Zero’ initiative last year. The company outlined four key areas to accomplish Mission To Zero – shifting to 100% clean energy, 60% reduction in energy consumption, reducing water usage by 50, and complete eradication of waste destined for landfills from all its breweries by 2025. The foundation of this initiative can be traced back to the collaboration between Kirin Holdings and B9 Beverages, which led to the establishment of the B9-Kirin Centre for Sustainable Growth, with a focus on environmental sustainability and business synergies. Consequently, the center initiated its Net Zero project, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2025.
Sharing his perspective, Hiromasa Honda, Managing Director, Kirin Holdings Singapore, said, “At Kirin, we are dedicated to fostering shared social and economic value with all our stakeholders, while simultaneously striving for sustainable growth. Our partnership with Bira 91 over the past few years is a testament to this vision. By sharing our expertise in innovation and sustainable practices, we have been able to craft the highest quality, sustainable products together.”
He further added, “We are delighted to announce a significant milestone in our joint net-zero vision, with Bira 91’s Mysuru brewery becoming India’s first carbon-neutral beer manufacturing unit. This remarkable accomplishment, coupled with the soaring demand for Bira 91 beers, is a prime example of how economic growth and social responsibility can work in harmony. We take great pride in our partnership with Bira 91 and look forward to continuing our journey toward a more sustainable future.”
Bira 91’s Mission to Zero has been focused on reducing energy use in its breweries by making its manufacturing processes more automated and efficient. It has transitioned to 100% renewable energy and electricity, produced through solar, hydroelectricity, wind and other clean sources. As a result. the brewery has eliminated its Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions, cutting down a remarkable 5000 tonnes since FY2021. The facility has also made significant strides in water conservation, saving a staggering 31 million litres of water, equivalent to over 120 million glasses. Moreover, by planting over 500 trees of local varieties on the premises, providing a natural carbon sink for the community. The brewery has achieved this Net Zero milestone several years ahead of its global peers in the sector.
More than eleven pints of Bira 91 are enjoyed every second and as the company scales up, the company acknowledges its responsibility to craft not only the most flavorful beers but also the greenest beers on the planet. The company will continue to spearhead India’s emerging Net-Zero movement, setting a bold precedent for other companies to follow.
About B9 Beverages: A refreshingly modern beer brand, imagined in India, Bira 91 aspires to bring flavorful beers to the new world. As one of the fastest growing brands in the world, Bira 91 has built a diverse portfolio of award-winning beers, one for every occasion, and aims to drive a global shift in beer towards more color and flavor. Bira 91 is now enjoyed in over 1000 towns and cities spread across 18 countries and brews its beers across four breweries in India. Bira 91 has its flagship taproom in Bengaluru, where it releases one new experimental beer every week, paired with its curry-shop menu. Bira 91 also offers branded merchandise across categories such as glassware, apparel, and gifts, to make every day a lot more playful. Established in 2015, Bira 91 is driven by a dynamic team of over 600 passionate beer lovers and is backed by Sequoia Capital India, Sofina of Belgium, and Kirin Holding of Japan. Bira 91 has also recently acquired The Beer Café, India’s leading Alco-Beverage chain to strengthen its play in pubs and taprooms and build India’s first large-scale direct-to-consumer platform focused on beer and innovation.
Learn more at http://www.bira91.com
About Kirin Holdings: Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.
Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.
Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
