1. What environmental issues does the New Belgium Brewing Company work to address? How has NBB taken a strategic approach to addressing these issues? Why do you think the company has chosen to focus on environmental issues? New Belgium Brewing strives to reduce negative impact on the natural environment through cost-efficient energy-saving alternatives. New Belgium Brewing commissioned a study found that their largest amount of carbon dioxide actually came from the coal-fuelled power plant that supplied the brewery with electricity.
With that in hand, New Belgium Brewing have invested in a wind turbine, making it the first fully wind powered brewery in the United States. By so doing, it has greatly reduced carbon dioxide emission which is associated with serious global warming and air pollution which affects the normal lifestyle of people in the immediate environment and aggregately throughout the world. New Belgium Brewing has also invested in a mist condenser that helps to reuse the hot water that was used for boiling barley and hops in a previous brewing process to start the next brew.
This steam also helps to heat the floor tiles and de-ice the loading docks during winter. New Belgium Brewing has also many other energy saving processes, for example, use of daylight. It has incorporated the use of sun tubes that help light up the brew house with natural daylight. New Belgium Brewing Company has chosen to focus on the environment because the type of business they are in, which uses barley and oats, is greatly affected by climatic conditions and also their products are packaged in a way that if littering would permit, it would destroy the image of the environment. . Are New Belgium’s social initiatives indicative of strategic philanthropy? Why or why not?
Many businesses already engage in basic forms of philanthropy. Strategic philanthropy focuses on change and builds for the future through which companies align charitable activities such as donations and volunteerism with a social issue or cause that supports their business objectives. In the case of New Belgium Brewing, they can portray strategic philanthropy through corporate giving and event sponsorship. n example would be the Tour De Fat and MS 150 Best Damn Bike Tour, both of which promote the company via its logo and still aim to raise money like in the case of MS 150 where proceeds go to benefit people with multiple sclerosis 3. Some segments of society vigorously contend that companies that sell alcoholic beverages and tobacco products cannot be socially responsible organizations because of the nature of their primary products. Do you believe that New Belgium Brewing Company’s actions and initiatives are indicative of an ethical and socially responsible corporation? Why or why not?
Like chocolate or a game console, alcohol and tobacco are luxury goods and are products that you can choose to purchase because they give you pleasure. People will always buy and use alcohol and tobacco products regardless of who is manufacturing it. The fact that New Belgium Brewing manufactures alcohol does not constitute to it causing any societal or environmental harm. They have gone ahead to make sure that they discourage the sale of alcohol to underage persons and minors as well, and at the same time they also encourage the consumption of their alcoholic beverages responsibly.
In response to their ethical responsibilities, they have made sure that they are environmentally friendly by recycling what they can and using natural resources to cut down on emissions. One other thing they have engaged in is their community in fun filling activity and event that allows people to be more physically involved in using bicycles and from the proceeds of those events, they give toward people suffering from multiple sclerosis. . What else could New Belgium do to foster ethical and responsible conduct? They can come up with carefully executed and effective marketing strategies to promote the company and at the same time continue to promote their human powered sports via cycling. They could sponsor certain sports bars or restaurants by offering free non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers which should help fight against drunk driving.
