This was for Earth Day, back in April but we missed it. Because, well, it was such important news. But given what marketing blunders have been made recently at Anheuser-Busch, I thought we should know. Press release below. h/t to Able Windsor, Jim Lakely.
ON THE WAY TO A NET ZERO FUTURE, BUD LIGHT NEXT WILL RECOGNIZE CLIMATE NEUTRAL MILESTONE BY PURCHASING ALL ELECTRICITY AT THIS YEAR’S LEAGUE OF LEGENDS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IN HOUSTON FROM CLEAN, RENEWABLE SOURCES
NEW YORK, NY – April 14, 2022 – Today, as Earth Day 2022 approaches, Bud Light NEXT is proud to announce it has completed the process to become Climate Neutral Certified. By measuring and offsetting last year’s carbon emissions and implementing reduction plans for future emissions, Bud Light NEXT has met the independent certification standard from Climate Neutral, a nonprofit organization working with brands and consumers to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions. The new designation comes just two months after hitting store shelves as Anheuser-Busch’s first-ever zero carb beer.
Climate Neutral’s certification builds on internationally recognized standards for carbon measurement, neutrality, and reduction. When Climate Neutral certifies a brand such as Bud Light NEXT, it means the brand has chosen to be accountable for the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the production and operations of their goods or services. To showcase its commitment, Bud Light NEXT will proudly feature the Climate Neutral certification on its packaging beginning in June.
“When we launched Bud Light NEXT, we wanted to bring a beer to market that was all about breaking barriers, just like the consumers it was brewed for,” said Andy Goeler, Vice President of Marketing, Bud Light. “We have a huge opportunity with Bud Light NEXT to take bold action that creates a better future for our consumers and the next generations to come, and our Climate Neutral certification is a big step in that journey for us.”
In honor of this milestone, Bud Light will also be working with its leading esports partner – League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) – to offset 100% of the electricity used during the LCS Spring Finals in Houston, TX at NRG Stadium taking place April 23-24 with clean, renewable sources from wind power.
Today’s announcement for Bud Light NEXT builds on recent actions that Bud Light has taken to protect the environment and encourage consumers and partners to do the same.
· During the 2021 NFL Season, Bud Light was the first major beer brand to join the How2Recycle® labeling program to educate and inspire consumers to recycle their beer bottles, cans and packaging.
· Ahead of Super Bowl 56, Bud Light NEXT teamed up with innovative fleet partners Nikola Corporation and BYD Motors to conduct a zero-emissions beer delivery of Bud Light NEXT.
“We’re excited that Bud Light NEXT is joining our movement, as one of hundreds of brands that have earned the Climate Neutral Certified designation,” said Austin Whitman, CEO of Climate Neutral. “Brewers such as Anheuser-Busch, alongside their brands like Bud Light NEXT, have a tremendous reach with their operations and their consumers. Their involvement is a proof point that climate change is now an issue of widespread importance. And their actions show that we all have ways to respond immediately and visibly to it by avoiding, removing, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
With this milestone, Bud Light NEXT is not only Anheuser-Busch’s first-ever zero carb beer but is also positioned to become the company’s first net zero carbon footprint beer. Bud Light NEXT is just one part of the company’s larger ambition to achieve net zero by 2040 through industry-leading sustainability initiatives.
To follow the latest on Bud Light NEXT, visit BudLight.com and follow Bud Light on Facebook at Facebook.com/BudLight, on Twitter at @BudLight, and on Instagram at @BudLight.
