Sustainability

We want to be an agent of social transformation that evolves based on what matters to people.

At Mahou San Miguel, we have a clear vision of the world we want to see in the future. Our vision is focused on 2030 as the year when we meet our sustainability targets, always placing our values and principles first. Find out how we want to do it by reading our Manifesto.

MANIFESTO

At Mahou San Miguel, we believe that we can do much to make the world of tomorrow better for everyone by working on sustainability.

We want to be an agent of social transformation and evolve in what we care about most and know how to do best: to create moments of unity and connection to improve people’s lives.

And so, together, we are working to contribute to the economy around us, the sustainability of the planet and the quality of life of all people.
This is our commitment to 2030.

We will support our customers in their daily operations, we will take care of our team as we have always done, and we will strengthen our ties to our community to stay close to it.

Above all, to those that most need it.

• We will take action to fight climate change with a 100% commitment.
• 100% of our containers will be recyclable.
• 100% of our electricity, green.
• 100% of our fleet, sustainable.
• 100% of our barley, as well
• We will offset 100% of our CO2 emissions by 2040.

We will encourage socialising and work to create a positive social impact based on the authenticity and singularity of our brands.

We will promote a sustainable and healthy lifestyle and conscious consumption of our products by providing transparent information.

Because people will always be at the centre of our decisions

That’s how we are and that’s how we will be in the future.

VAMOS 2030
Towards the future we want to see.

MAHOU SAN MIGUEL

To achieve the future we want to see, we have to start with the present. That’s why we integrate sustainability into our daily work, so that each time you enjoy one of our brands, you’ll know that every sip embodies our firm commitment to improving people’s lives and our world through three lines of action: Progress, Natural Habitat and Well-being.

Each of these lines aims to contribute to creating a more balanced society and a more sustainable environment, a goal we are working for in collaboration with organisations, institutions, citizens and, of course, other companies. To do so, we have established a shared vision with our entire value chain based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Global Compact, a reference forum of we have belong to for over ten years and which demonstrates our long-term commitment to sustainability.

LINES OF ACTION

1/ PROGRESS

We work together for GREATER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS.

We are part of society and, therefore, one of our maxims is to contribute to the creation of wealth for all citizens. Our “Progress” line of action demonstrates our interest in stimulating economic, social and job development in the communities where are present, by working to strengthen the long-term relationships we have with our collaborators and incentivising sectors like on-trade with over €200 million in financial assistance in 2020.

Commitments towards the future we want to see

1#

We will promote the on-trade and tourism sector of the future by supporting our customers and collaborators in transforming their businesses in line with new trends and accompanying them in their day-to-day operations.

Every one of our bars and restaurants is replete with stories and experiences related to one of our brands. So, we want to support the entire sector in its evolution, through training and new possibilities, so that it can continue to be one of the things that makes our country special.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We dedicated over €200 million to the on-trade and tourism sectors in 2020 through a special donation of beverages and, in 2021, we are going to invest over €40 million in a Comprehensive On-trade Transformation Plan to facilitate the reopening of businesses.
We advise our customers through Rentabilibar, an information and meeting point for getting answers to questions about the crisis and accessing tools that will enable them to make their businesses prosper.
In 2021, we are going to invest over €40 million in an On-trade Transformation Plan.
Since 2018 we have 100% recyclable terraces made from 100% recycled materials. With this initiative we have managed to reduce the consumption of virgin plastic by 1,850 tonnes and we have reduced the associated carbon footprint by 26%.
When the terraces have fulfilled their purpose in the hospitality industry, they are donated to third sector organisations. This measure has managed to deliver more than 13,000 units and allows us to extend the useful life of the furniture.

2#

We will make 95% of our purchases locally and support 100% of our value chain to help it incorporate sustainability criteria.

Sustainability is a shared commitment. That’s why we want to lead by example: 95% of our purchases are made in Spain, and we support all our partners and suppliers with training and guidelines so that they can integrate sustainability into their day-to-day operations.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We became the first ones to provide on-trade customers with 100% recycled and recyclable furniture (tables and chairs), saving 662 tonnes of CO2 a year. The used terrace furniture is donated to NGOs as part of a circular economy project.
We use a Good Practices Manual so that establishment owners know how to care for the furniture correctly.
Our sustainable sun umbrellas help purify the air as much as an 80,000-tree forest.
Avanzamos Juntos programme: Since 2015, more than 300 collaborators have participated in our training and awareness-raising programme on sustainability for our value chain.
We generate wealth equivalent to 0.2% of the Spanish GDP and 21,985 jobs in our value chain (data from 2018).
For each euro of turnover, we generate and distribute €1.69 of economic impact in society.

3#

We will promote stable, quality employment by comprehensively developing the capacities of the entire Mahou San Miguel team in a flexible, diverse and inclusive environment.

People are at the centre of all that we do, starting with the employees who make up our team. We are proud to be a team where all ideas are welcome, as long as they are proposed respectfully, and we work to create an environment that allows creativity to flow.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We are the first company in the Food sector to have an Equality Plan and, furthermore, we were recognised by the Ministry for Equality with its equality seal, which certifies our commitment to the cause.
Despite the situation derived from COVID and its resulting losses, we managed to protect jobs.
In the past five years, we have increased the number of women on our team by 50%.
Our board of directors has complete gender parity.
Hiring processes have candidates of both genders, ensuring equal opportunities.
We participate in the ClosinGap business cluster, which aims to raise society’s awareness of the impact of inequality on the Spanish economy.
We have measures in place that favour work-life balance and flexibility for our employees, such as telecommuting, more vacation time than legally required, a time limit of 18:30 for leaving work.
We have a code of good practices for the use of electronic devices outside working hours and have prohibited holding meetings after 17:00.
The FRC (Family Responsible Company) certificate endorses us with a level of excellence, making us one of 19 companies to earn this rating worldwide.

4#

We will ensure access to job opportunities for at least 80% of the young people who participate in the social programmes of the Mahou San Miguel Foundation and, in doing so, help professionalise the on-trade and tourism sector.

Good service is fundamental, especially in a bar. Through our Foundation’s programmes, we are contributing to training the servers of the future, to make the attention we receive in bars and restaurants progressively more outstanding.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

More than 800 young people have been trained through our dual vocational training programme Creamos Oportunidades en Hostelería y Turismo since its launch in 2014. This training cycle made it possible to provide scholarships equivalent to €63,565 in 2020.
In 2021, this programme in one or another of its modes is present in nine of the best hotel schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Granada and Málaga.
We partnered with the MOM Culinary Center By Paco Roncero, an excellence centre in which we have a scholarship plan.
We launched the first Head Waiter programme, in collaboration with schools and universities, which offers transversal training to 90 talented young people.
Our volunteer programme went online during COVID-19 to offer at-risk young people the counselling they need to orient their careers.

5#

We will guarantee a high degree of commitment to integrity, transparency and ethical values.

We teach and inform through our products and channels to make our commitment to sustainability transparent at all times.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

Find out about our Code of Ethics and Compliance Policy.

Sustainable development goals:

Quality education is a fundamental lever for us, and it allows us to continue working on the path of socioeconomic growth in the places where we are present.

We work to promote diversity and inclusion inside and outside the company. We firmly believe in the value of having different perspectives, and we support initiatives that ensure a diverse, egalitarian and flexible environment.

We understand that quality employment and economic growth are a fundamental part of sustainability. Generating positive value in society is possible through the commitment to work-life balance, flexibility and diversity and through promotion of the on-trade sectors and the local economy.

To reduce inequality, we carry out initiatives through our Mahou San Miguel Foundation and our brands. We support social action and the most vulnerable groups in society.

2/ NATURAL HABITAT

We protect NATURAL RESOURCES AND BIODIVERSITY

Our present is already marked by climate change and the impact of human activity on the environment. We want to contribute to slowing it down by making responsible use of natural resources, reducing the impact of our activities and using containers and materials that are 100% recyclable and free of virgin plastic.

Commitments towards the future we want to see

6#

We will promote the circularity of all our containers and materials by eliminating virgin plastic and guaranteeing that they are 100% recyclable and reusable.

We follow the rule of the 3 R’s: reduce, recycle, reuse. We always take these principles into account in the development of our containers.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We are eliminating the plastic in our six-pack rings and shrink wrap, replacing them with biodegradable cardboard derived from sustainably managed forests in 12 products from our main brands: Mahou, Alhambra and San Miguel. This initiative has saved 90,000 kilos of plastic per year.
The 33-cl, 50-cl and 75-cl bottles of our Solán de Cabras brand are made of 100% recycled plastic. Furthermore, all our containers are 100% recyclable.
Our Canary Islands water brand, Fonteide, becomes the first in the islands to have a 75-cl bottle made of 100% recycled plastic. We are working to extend this to the rest of the bottle sizes.
Of the containers we sell in on-trade, 84% are returned to our production centres to be reused.
And, of the containers we put on the market in the off-trade channel, 70% are infinitely recyclable.
Through various green design initiatives, we have reduced our use of materials for containers by 6,700 tonnes since 2009.
All the plastic materials that cover our can and bottle packs are made of 50% recycled plastic.
All our production centres are zero-waste: 99.9% is reused in other processes.

7#

We will reduce our water consumption and carbon footprint by double digits by 2030, use 100% green electricity in all our activities, and promote renewable energy projects.

Sustainability is increasingly important in the efficiency of all our processes.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

Our total energy consumption was 25.81% lower in 2020 compared to 2011.
We are the Spanish brewery with the largest installation of solar panels, which generate 7,300 MWh per year for us.
Agreement with Verallia in Burgos to harness its energy in our brewing processes, resulting in a 60% reduction of CO2 emissions.
Our centres use 100% green energy.
Since 2017, we have reduced our unit consumption of water by 3.3%.
We have reduced our total water consumption by 23.48% since 2011.

8#

We will work to ensure that 100% of our barley comes from sustainable farming and work with farmers to continue producing quality products that respect the natural environment.

We pay attention to sustainability from the moment the first seed for our products is planted, in collaboration with local producers.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We have a sustainable farming decalogue.
Over 60 farmers have visited our production centres to learn about our manufacturing and packaging process and our sustainability strategy.
93% of our purchases are of Spanish origin.
99% of the barley malt in our beers comes from Spain.
50% of the hops we use in our breweries is of domestic origin and harvested by local producers.

9#

We will promote efficient and 100% sustainable mobility in our fleet.

We are upgrading our company, sales and transport vehicles so that each time you see one on the street, you will know that it is operating sustainably.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

75% of our vehicle fleet today is sustainable.
90% of the commercial fleet of VOLDIS, our distribution business, has the zero or eco label.
31% of the trucks of Taisa, our Logistics Services unit, run on liquefied natural gas. In this area, we have reduced CO2 from road transport thanks to logistical efficiencies and the incorporation of ultralight platforms.
All these sustainability initiatives have enabled us to reduce our CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by more than 42,000 tonnes.

10#

We will protect the biodiversity of the environments where we have an impact and offset 100% of our CO2 emissions by 2040.

We feel very close to all the communities where we are present. That’s why we want to protect their environmental richness by reducing our consumption, encouraging volunteer work by our employees and offsetting our emissions.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We signed a green credit with Banco Santander in the amount of €13 million, thereby integrating environmental criteria into our finance area..
We have reduced our carbon footprint by 6% since 2016.
We have reduced our CO2 emissions to the atmosphere by 42,000 tonnes.
In 2020, we were awarded the “Lean & Green” star for having reduced CO2 emissions by 23%, mainly in our supply chain, in the past three years.
Over 60 farmers have visited our production centres to learn about our manufacturing and packaging process and our sustainability strategy.
We have undertaken forest improvement and regeneration projects in collaboration with WWF, resulting in actions affecting 8 hectares and the planting of 5000 trees.

Sustainable development goals:

Water is a very precious resource, which has led us to seek ever more efficient methods through optimisation of equipment and processes.

We opt for renewable and non-polluting energies, making new investments and creating partnerships that will allow us to continue our activities while being more efficient in energy management and using cleaner sources.

We are committed in the fight against climate change. As a company, we have a great responsibility and are always looking for ways to contribute positively to this environmental work over the long term.

We have been implementing formulas for years to achieve better and better management of natural resources and we intend to continue to optimise them on an ongoing basis.

The protection of the environment and biodiversity and the conservation of nature are priorities, hand in hand with increasingly sustainable agriculture and achieving quality products that protect the environment in which they are produced.

3/ WELL BEING

We promote a more SOCIAL, HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE.

We are what we drink, but we are also what we share with others. Our Well-being line of action is based on promoting a more social, healthy and, of course, more sustainable lifestyle. We want to do this by helping 35 million people through products that are increasingly well balanced and include complete and comprehensible information, through programmes that encourage responsible consumption, and by contributing to full socialisation based on quality social relationships.

Commitments towards the future we want to see

11#

We will promote people’s health through initiatives related to happiness and physical well-being and through healthy and inclusive products.

We work together with institutions of all kinds to increase our society’s well-being, as well as through more balanced products. We will promote sport to ensure the physical and emotional health of both our employees and society as a whole.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

Our Solán de Cabras brand of water includes the Repair, Antiox and Defence functional waters.
We launched the first organic beer on the Spanish market: San Miguel ECO.
We include gluten-free products in our portfolio: Mahou Cinco Estrellas Sin Gluten and San Miguel Sin Gluten.
Our range includes Sin (alcohol-free) and 0,0 (zero-alcohol) products like Mahou Sin, Mahou 0,0 Tostada, Alhambra Especial Sin, San Miguel 0,0, San Miguel 0,0 Radler, San Miguel 0,0 Manzana and San Miguel Magna Roja 0,0.
We have a health, prevention and well-being portal, CUIDARME, that organises initiatives that improve the physical and emotional health of our employees.
Development of the Happiness Area as a strategic part of the company.
Workshops like the Nutrition School, Mindfulness, Physical Activity Programme (Health Workshop and Gympass).
We make psychological assistance and a coaching programme available to employees.

12#

We will raise awareness to encourage a more sustainable lifestyle and achieve conscious consumption of our products.

One of the small gestures we want to integrate into our day-to-day life is responsible consumption in order to make our lifestyle more and more sustainable.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

We have five moderate consumption principles that we incorporate in all our events, commercial initiatives and production centres.
All our marketing campaigns comply with the advertising self-regulation code.
We carry out internal awareness campaigns through our Mahou San Miguel Foundation volunteer programme.

13#

We will provide detailed and accessible information about the ingredients, nutritional value and sustainability of 100% of our products.

In order to live sustainably, it is essential to be informed. That idea is what led us to include relevant information about our products in terms of nutritional value and preparation.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

By using education, we will continue raising awareness and disclosing information about our products and how they are made through transparent and accessible labelling.

14#

We will encourage socialising to enhance people’s quality of life.

We are proud of our way of life and of serving as facilitators of social relationships. We will continue to incentivise the special moments that are shared through our products.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

Socialising is a tool that improves quality of life and increases well-being. People are at the centre of our strategy and will continue to be for a long time.
Through our On-trade Support Plan, we helped enclose 65,000 customers’ establishments so that they could adapt their terraces during the COVID-19 crisis We ensure safe and responsible socialising.

15#

We will generate a positive social impact through the authenticity and uniqueness of each of our brands.

They all have their own personality that makes them ideal for every situation. We will continue working to ensure their diversity so that you can always find one that’s right for your circumstances.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

Our Solán de Cabras brand of water collaborates annually with the Spanish Cancer Association (AECC in its Spanish acronym) to provide minutes of psychological support to cancer patients and their family members. This is our “Gotas de Solidaridad” initiative, which is identified by its iconic pink bottle.
During the crisis caused by COVID-19, we collaborated with the Spanish Red Cross, with public and private hospitals and the Federation of Food Banks, through Solán de Cabras and Fonteide, to donate over 400,000 litres of mineral water to the people who most needed it.

Sustainable development goals:

Health and well-being are fundamental for us, leading us to promote initiatives that help people, both our employees and consumers, live fully. At our company, we advocate a more social, healthy and sustainable life to have a positive impact on people.

Through education, we provide comprehensive and accessible information to all consumers, to encourage them to choose the best option in each case and ensure a high level of protection of health.

We empower consumers through the disclosure of accurate, high-quality product information, thereby helping them to make the right decisions and reducing any disparities that might arise.

COMMITTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT

For more than 128 years, Sustainability is part of the DNA of Mahou San Miguel. It is integrated into everything we do, being respect for the Environment and efficient management of natural resources a priority in our activity.

As a guarantee of our sustainable trajectory, we have had an Environmental Management System for more than 15 years, certified according to ISO 14001 standards, which has been recognized with the "European Environment Award to the Company", in its Spanish section, within the category of "Management for Sustainable Development for Large and Medium Enterprises", granted by the Biodiversity Foundation.

It is a sample of our daily commitment to the environment and to the sustainability of everything we do. If you want to consult the complete information of our advances in environmental matters, you can do it through our Environmental Statement.

View Environmental Statement 2021