The targets have a significant magnitude, says Marco Ugarte, sustainability manager for MillerCoors. "The only way to achieve them is through a deep level of partnership with other organizations."

As a result, the company has connected with diverse public and private partners.

Ugarte will be speaking about the complexities of water sourcing at the 2017 Environmental Leader Conference next month. Recently we caught up with him to find out more about the beer brewing company’s approach and how strategic partnerships can help MillerCoors reach environmental goals.

What does water mean for MillerCoors?

The company has a sustainability strategy that describes 10 goals toward 2020. Five of those 10 goals are completely environmental. Water is the most material resource because the company has a long-standing relationship all the way back to the barley growers that grow and harvest all the components — what we call brewing materials.

Right now the commitment is to reduce the water-to-product ratio or ‘water-to-beer’ ratio. The goal is to use three gallons water to produce one gallon of beer. To put it in perspective, there are manufacturers that could easily be using five to nine gallons of water to produce one gallon beer. The economies of scale and investments we have across the supply chain allow us to reduce that ratio and become more efficient over time.

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