Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do.

We can only thrive if the environment, our people, and our communities also thrive. 

Brew a Better World

At Heineken Ethiopia, we are on a mission to brew a sustainable future for our people, our communities, and the planet with an ambition of becoming the leading Ethiopian brewery by Value, volume, and community impact.Brew a Better World (BaBW) is our long-term ambition for sustainability and one of our key operational priorities for the business. Our 2030 Brew a Better World ambition aims to raise the bar by 2030 across three pillars: environmental, social, and responsible consumption. 

We are on a journey to Brew A Better World

Water efficiency 

We believe we should make a positive contribution to the health of local watersheds where our breweries are located, especially in areas that are water-stressed. We are committed and working towards reducing our water consumption to the lowest possible level. 

 

Wastewater Treatment 

We are committed to treating all our wastewater before we return it to nature. To achieve this, we have been investing in wastewater treatment plants within our breweries. Today, 100% of the wastewater at all our operations is treated and is returned to the environment clean and can be used for irrigation. 

 

Water balancing 

We are dedicated to fully balance and replenish every liter of water we use in our products from water-stressed areas. The BURQA Initiative is our water balancing and livelihood improvement project we undertake in partnership with World Vision and Acacia Water. This initiative focuses on the water-stressed regions of Bedele (Dabena river catchment) and Harar (Hakim Gara catchment). Launched in 2020, its second phase will run until July 2027. Here are some key achievements from the project so far: 

 

  • Benefited Community Members: Over 55,000 people, with 50% being female. 
  • Land Rehabilitated: 905 hectares through soil and water conservation activities. 
  • Trees Planted: Over 1 million trees reintroduced to the ecosystem, including both forest and multipurpose trees. 
  • Land Restoration: 877 hectares of degraded land restored through farmer-managed natural regeneration (FMNR) activities. 
  • Water Balanced: 45,605 m³ per year (190%) at Harar and 90,991 m³ per year (152%) at Bedele, according to Acacia’s report. 
  • Income Generation: The community generated 46.5 million birr from various income-generating activities promoted by the project. 
  • Agricultural Improvements: Significantly enhanced agricultural practices. 
  • Environmental Education: Established and strengthened 22 environmental school clubs. 
  • Energy Efficiency: Distributed 603 energy-saving cooking stoves to the community. 

Green Cooling: To serve our beer at the optimum temperature, HEINEKEN Ethiopia uses environmentally friendly refrigerants at our outlets. All our refrigerants have low energy consumption with better energy management and LED illumination systems. 

CO2 reduction: As part of our journey to net zero, we plan to reduce our Carbon emission by 100% in production by 2030. We are working to make sure we are using green energy sources for all our production processes.  The projects will be implemented in all our three breweries – Kilinto Brewery, Bedele Brewery, and Harar Brewery. 

Enjoy Responsibly:  As one of the leading brewers, we’re passionate about promoting the enjoyment of beer in moderation through our vibrant campaign, “BeLik, BeAgbab, BeHalafinet,” which translates to “In moderation, appropriately, with responsibility.” Additionally, we’re taking a stand against underage drinking with our impactful “No for Underage Drinking” campaign, which we’re implementing across several universities. 

 

HEINEKEN Ethiopia’s Local Sourcing initiative: Began in 2013, the initiative aims to guarantee a long-term, sustainable supply of raw materials while improving farmers’ livelihoods and raising supplier’s standards. Currently the project supports over 80,000 barley farmers by increasing their malt barley yields through the provision of top-quality seeds, agricultural training, improved access to finance and links to reliable markets to sell their crop. 

 

Sustainability in action

Investment in Country

+54 billion ETB investment by Heineken  

Job Opportunity

+1,000 employees.

Highest Private Taxpayer in the Country

18 billion tax contribution in 2025

Tree planting

We plant over 70000 trees in Addis Abeba, Bedele, and Harar every year. 

Water Balancing:

Our Harar and Bedele breweries have achieved full water balancing, powered by the BURQAA project, meaning every drop of water used in brewing is returned to nature through community-led, nature-based solutions. BURQAA is restoring degraded landscapes, strengthening water security for more than 55,000 households, and building long-term resilience in the Dabena and Hakim Gara watersheds.

Highest Rank in Quality

Kilinto Brewery proudly received the prestigious Ethiopian Quality Award for the second time, first in 2023 (10th round) and now in 2025 (12th round), securing first position and reflecting the team’s dedication to quality and excellence.

Community Impact

Since 2020, HEINEKEN Ethiopia’s Derash Shelter Project has built 179 safe homes, giving more than 895 residents across Addis Ababa’s Kereyu, Kechene, Kirkos, and Akaki Kaliti sub-cities a place to live with dignity, and today, that impact is growing beyond the capital, reaching Harar and Bedele.

Responsible consumption campaign

Our responsible consumption message is expected to reach a daily viewership of 4 million via the branded meter taxi awareness campaign.