Duvel Moortgat | Sustainability

Preserve what we serve

As the planet generously provides us with great ingredients for our widely praised beers, we want to give back with actions that make an actual difference.

Moreover, as entrepreneurs, we see sustainable practices as a competitive advantage. From air over water to land, everything is connected in a delicate balance. To restore it, we reduce emissions, recycle water and stimulate regenerative farming. A holistic approach for fair progress.

Carbon footprint

We reduce our carbon footprint to limit global warming.

From energy consumption to logistics, mobility, raw materials, packaging, and waste: we accurately calculate our greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes using auditable standards, to then define what actions to take. And we team up with our entire ecosystem to help us on our journey.

Year after year, global temperatures continue to break records. Shifting weather patterns and more extreme weather are putting pressure on agricultural crops and water – two essential ingredients for beer. At the same time, our own business plays a role in climate change too. The food and drinks industry is responsible for roughly one third of the world’s total carbon footprint, with beverage companies alone accounting for around 4% of global CO2e emissions.

How Firestone Walker saves 28+ million liters of water per year

-8%

absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions

– 16%

absolute Scope 3 emissions

50%

renewable electricity

67%

of purchased goods emissions attributed to SBTI-aligned suppliers

Water stewardship

We moderate water use and recycle water to safeguard fresh water supply.

We commit to reducing our total water consumption while increasing the amount of water we recycle or reuse. To achieve this, we focus on water stewardship and operational efficiency.

Rinsing, cleaning, cooling, heating: water is omnipresent in our brewing processes. More than that, it is the main ingredient in our beers. Yet, climate change, deforestation, pollution, and rising demand increase water stress in many regions. As we recognize the risks to both our operations and ecosystems, we responsibly manage water consumption.

How Firestone Walker saves 28+ million liters of water per year

-13%

total water consumption

+1.5%

water reused

–7%

water intensity ratio

Regenerative argiculture

We embrace regenerative agriculture to boost productivity and biodiversity.

To achieve our mission of becoming a fully nature-positive organization by 2050, we increasingly reduce the carbon footprint of Forest, Land & Agriculture (FLAG) products. In addition, we source ingredients from regenerative agriculture, and contribute to the restoration and regeneration of nature.

Regenerative agriculture in four questions

To brew excellent beers, we need high-quality agricultural products like wheat, barley malt, hops.

But climate change and biodiversity loss impact the health of our soils, threatening harvests and the availability of raw materials. Today’s land use and farming techniques also contribute to carbon emissions and put water resources under pressure.

Today, 8% of Duvel Moortgat’s corporate carbon footprint are FLAG - ‘Forest, Land & Agriculture’ - emissions, i.e. emissions coming from agricultural products, as defined by the SBTi.

Sustainable agriculture can help cut these emissions and secure our supply chain, as it improves biodiversity and soil quality, even if applied within conventional systems. Healthier soils help capture more carbon, are more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and increase yields – assuring a steady supply of natural and healthy beverages and food.

300 tons

of regenerative malt

10%

Contracts with key suppliers

up to -80%

CO2 emissions per ton malt

Circularity

Circular thinking to achieve ‘zero waste’

We adopt circular processes to move towards ‘zero waste’.

Across our operations, we aim to achieve zero waste to landfill. We valorize byproducts, shift to circular processes, source and design sustainable packaging, and significantly increase returnability, reusability, and recyclability.

Producing materials requires energy, water, and carbon – resources that are increasingly limited. More than that, residual waste pollutes the environment. So, every item that we do not produce, recycle, or keep in use longer helps cut emissions and reduces pressure on the environment.

For breweries, beer packaging, such as glass bottles, cans, and kegs, is disposed of or recycled after consumption. The type of recipients – single-use, returnable, … – we use, significantly impacts our carbon footprint.

Deposit bottles at Brouwerij 't IJ

Download the full sustainability report

Explore how Duvel Moortgat is brewing a better tomorrow. From carbon reduction to water stewardship, discover the steps we're taking to create a positive impact across our global network.

Download (.pdf)