5 BIER Publications Supporting the Advancement of Environmental Sustainability in the Beverage Sector for 2022

As the world hastens its speed in the race against climate change, members of the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) have been acting as the model of industry collaboration for over 15 years collectively driving sector actions and alignment, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, and corporate leadership on business-relevant environmental dimensions including water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), climate change and adaptation, circularity and recycling, and sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

Now, as 2022 unfolds, with increasing consumer scrutiny of corporate environmental commitments, and as investors, activists, and other concerned stakeholders create greater expectations and demands for more forward movement on a variety of environmental, social, and governance issues, relevant and trusted guidance is more critical than ever before. As such, BIER's research and publications have continuously advanced the development of sustainable solutions through beverage industry-specific data collection, methodologies, standard-setting, best practice sharing, and thought leadership. Following are five BIER publications to help navigate the path towards decarbonization and improved water stewardship in the year ahead.

2021 Water and Energy Use Benchmarking Study
In the 2021 benchmarking study, BIER evaluated 16 years of industry performance for nearly 2,000 facilities worldwide. The final results represent a comprehensive set of production, water, energy, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions metrics which are normalized, categorized, and analyzed by facility and beverage type. The 2021 benchmarking study includes facility-level data for 2015, 2017, and 2020 from 14 BIER members and 3 partner contributors and showcases that the beverage industry is taking a proactive approach to improving business performance while mitigating environmental impacts worldwide. The complete 2021 benchmarking results report can be downloaded here.

Facility Decarbonization and Context-Based Decision Guide for Water
In 2020 BIER published two work products: The Facility Decarbonization Playbook, which is relevant to any sector as we all must collectively accelerate our efforts to decarbonize, and the Context-based Decision Guide for Water Reuse and Recycling, which is intended to accelerate internal conversations and decisions at the regional and facility level with regards to investments in advancing water stewardship.

Decarbonization Playbook for Small and Medium Suppliers
Building upon the Facility Decarbonization Playbook published by BIER in December 2020, the Decarbonization Playbook for Small and Medium Suppliers aims to demystify decarbonization to support small/medium suppliers on their journey and provide straightforward short-term climate actions that can make a significant impact. This playbook has been specifically developed to support small/medium suppliers who are critical to achieving decarbonization across the beverage sector and beyond.

The Water Circularity Metrics Tool
Developed in collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Water Circularity Metrics Tool is a scenario-based tool providing a practical methodology for businesses to adopt a common metric for water circularity at a facility and enterprise level. The step-by-step process supports more informed decisions to evaluate a specific facility’s water needs, water source options and determining post-use and discharge options allowing for a transition from linear to more circular and less demanding on the local watershed.

In keeping with the collaborative spirit of BIER, we recognize that alone, one company cannot solve the world’s challenges and as a collective group, we can’t solve it either. As noted, there is an immediate need for industry, organizations, and governments to work together and collaboratively focus on a sustainable future for us all. As such, all of BIER’s guidance and tools are publicly available and offered complimentary to assist organizations and companies to easily navigate the complexities of the sustainability journey, avoiding complications and maximizing positive impact.

You are invited to keep current with BIER, its members, and publications by reading our 2022 Spotlight Series and connecting with BIER on Twitter and LinkedIn.