With great impact comes great responsibility. Across their value chains, companies play a critical role in safeguarding and restoring the nature and biodiversity on which we all depend. This series features international companies setting the pace – companies that are part of the solution. This edition highlights Carlsberg and their efforts.
The large international brewing group from Denmark integrates nature considerations across its entire value chain – from barley fields to returnable bottles.
“Biodiversity is not something we do on the side. It’s woven into our overall strategy and runs through everything — from agriculture to packaging,” says Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, Director, Group Sustainability at Carlsberg Group.
The large international brewing group from Denmark no longer sees biodiversity as a separate track. It is now part of its global sustainability strategy, “Together Towards ZERO and Beyond”, which sets the company’s ESG direction for the decades to come.
This strategy includes targets such as 30% regenerative raw materials by 2030, 100% water replenishment at priority sites by 2030, and net zero CO₂ emissions across the entire value chain by 2040. (www.carlsberggroup.com/sustainability/).
Regenerative agriculture as a climate and nature solution
One of Carlsberg’s most visible actions is its agreement to source 15,000 tonnes of regeneratively grown barley from 2025 — about 40% of Carlsberg Denmark’s annual use, enough to brew 100 million litres of beer.
“Regenerative farming delivers a double dividend: we reduce emissions, and we strengthen soil health and biodiversity in and around the fields,” says Hoffmeyer.
The approach includes no/low tillage, crop rotation, lower pesticide use and improved soil health — practices that create habitats, improve resilience and reduce chemical pressure on nature.
Carlsberg collaborates with local and international experts, and through the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) works to scale regenerative methods and influence EU policy to support the transition. (saiplatform.org).
Water replenishment — protecting ecosystems at the source
Healthy water is fundamental to healthy ecosystems — and to Carlsberg’s production.
“We can’t brew beer without clean water,” says Hoffmeyer.
The company aims for 100% water replenishment at all priority sites by 2030, meaning all water used must be returned to nature in the same or better quality. This tackles a key biodiversity threat: water overuse and pollution.
Packaging systems reduce pressure on nature
Carlsberg also sees packaging as a way to protect nature. It aims to collect 90% of all primary packaging and increase the recycled content in bottles and cans — reducing the need for virgin materials and the pressure on natural habitats.
Collection happens largely through deposit return systems, which Carlsberg has pioneered in several European markets.
“Deposit return systems have become a cornerstone of our circular business model — and they make a very tangible contribution to reducing our pressure on nature,” Hoffmeyer notes.
From ESG topic to strategic priority
Biodiversity has long been part of Carlsberg’s ESG agenda, but it only became a true strategic priority in 2023–2024, when the company realised its central role in soil health, crop resilience and climate action.
“If biodiversity collapses, it could ultimately threaten both food security and our own raw material supply,” says Hoffmeyer and states;
“Carlsberg now treats biodiversity as core to its business model, not as a CSR add-on.”
Driving value across the supply chain
Carlsberg views biodiversity as both a value driver and a risk parameter on par with climate and energy. Especially the early stages of its value chain — agriculture and raw material suppliers — depend directly on intact ecosystems.
“Our business starts in the soil. Without healthy ecosystems, we won’t have the raw materials we need tomorrow,” says Hoffmeyer.
To build resilience, Carlsberg is embedding biodiversity criteria in tenders, supplier contracts and joint development projects, while co-creating economic incentives for farmers to adopt biodiversity-friendly practices.
“When our suppliers are surrounded by robust nature, we have a more robust business,” Hoffmeyer explains.
According to Hoffmeyer this approach has also strengthened supplier relationships, as they feel ownership of a shared sustainability agenda rather than just being expected to deliver to specifications.
Challenges and advice
Carlsberg notes that biodiversity work is still hampered by a lack of standardised metrics, making it hard to quantify progress and requiring flexible strategies as new knowledge emerges.
“Biodiversity is complex, and we are constantly learning,” says Hoffmeyer.
He has three pieces of advice to other companies working with biodiversity:
- Don’t wait for data and measurement systems to be perfect before starting. Start small if you need to but start quickly and focus on hot spots.
- Collaborate and communicate: partnering with suppliers, NGOs, and academia is essential. Transparency builds stakeholder trust and drives engagement.
- Speak with your peers and put this on the agenda during industry organization meetings. We will move much faster when we collaborate across the supply chain and across industries.
