We recognise that water scarcity and quality are important global issues. They are especially pertinent to our business, in light of the water-intensive nature of the beverage industry.

There is increasing demand on water resources to meet the needs of growing world populations, especially in developing countries, where over 1 billion people still lack access to clean, safe water and 2.2 million people die each year from diseases associated with dirty water and poor sanitation.

As a global business, our parent comapny, SABMiller, has set a target to reduce water use per litre of beer produced by 25% by 2015.

The water efficiency of brewing operations has improved markedly over the past 25 years, before which it was common for breweries to use up to 30 hectolitres of water to produce a single hectolitre of beer.

According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, a typical figure for an efficient brewery is 5.0 hectolitres of water per hectolitre of beer produced. At 4.6 hectolitres of water per hectolitre of beer, SABMiller’s average compares favourably with this figure and with our competitors. In Europe, from where we source our beers, the average is 4.3.

In addition to the actions our sister companies are taking in terms of brewing efficiency, Miller Brands are part of a campaign targeting UK employees and with the aim of raising awareness of water issues - whether through heightened knowledge of our company initiatives or practical interventions, such as turning off taps properly, that can make a real difference to the consumption of water resources.

You can read more about the SABMiller commitment to reduce its water use by 25% by 2015, as well as case studies from across the world, by clicking here or following the links on the left.