Asahi Beverages
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Holding company
Asahi Beverages formed in 2014 when the company announced plans to integrate the operations of Schweppes Australia, Asahi Premium Beverages and Independent Liquor NZ. Asahi acquired Schweppes in 2009, and Independent Liquor, Charlie's Group, and the juice and water business of Australia's P&N Beverages in 2011.
Company Ownership
Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Asahi Group Holdings Ltd ![]() owns 100% of Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd |
JPN | website | ||||
Drinks, especially alcoholic Formerly known as Asahi Breweries, Asahi Group is Japan's #2 brewer, after Kirin. Founded 1889. Acquired Schweppes Australia in 2009. Bought NZ's Independent Liquor and Charlie's Group, and the juice and water business of Australia's P&N Beverages in 2011. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd | ||||
Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020) |
Victorian farmer Tim Carey successfully applied to change the source of 19 million litres of his existing licence from surface water to groundwater, and from agricultural to commercial purposes. This allowed him to truck the water to a bottling plant run by Mountain H2O, owned by Asahi. In 2018 residents of Stanley, Victoria, lost a four-year court battle to stop the farmer bottling local groundwater for Asahi. The residents were left with a A$90,000 bill for legal costs.
Source: The Conversation (2018)
In 2013 Coca-Cola Amatil, Schweppes Australia (part of Asahi Beverages) and Lion Pty Ltd filed proceedings in the Federal Court challenging the legal validity of the Northern Territory's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). Other large bottlers like Fosters and Diageo have not joined the court case. A CDS has been proven worldwide to be the best way to increase collection and recycling. The Boomerang Alliance estimates a CDS would increase recovery by 80%.
Source: news article (2013)
Phoenix Organics soft drinks and juices are certified organic by BioGro, and Mountain Goat beer has an organic option. However these only represent a tiny fraction of this company's total beverage sales.
Source: ACO (2018)
This company has responsibility claims on its website under the headings environment, beverages & health, and people & society.
Source: company website (2020)
Directly involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcohol as a core business.
Source: company website (2020)
According to data released by the Australian Tax Office in Dec 2018, this company was one of 2,159 local and foreign-based companies that paid no tax in Australia in 2016-17. Please note however that companies pay income tax on profits, not revenue (total income). While some companies use tax havens and loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of tax in Australia, other companies that paid no tax have perfectly legitimate reasons.
Source: ATO (2018) |
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Asahi Group Holdings Ltd | ||||
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A.
Source: CDP (2019)
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of A.
Source: CDP (2019)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 82/100 in the Beverages category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019) |
This company received a score of 10.3/100 (retrieved 10-Oct-2020) in the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), a system for evaluating supply chain practices in China, particularly in regards to environmental management and water pollution. Scores are calculated using government compliance data, online monitoring data, and third-party environmental audits, as well as trends in the environmental performance of factories in the company's supply chains.
Source: IPE (2020)
The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 20-30 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: CHRB (2019) |
Activities include reducing CO2 emissions, FSC certified forest management, and donations to environmental protection schemes.
Source: Japan for Sustainability (2010)
In Nov 2011 Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) recertified Asahi's Shobara and Miyoshi forests in Japan to the Forest Stewardship Council's standard for responsible forest management. Asahi bought the forested properties during World War II. They have been FSC certified since 2001.
Source: SCS (2011)
This company holds Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification, and sells products certified as FSC 100%.
Source: FSC (2017)
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2017)
The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values.
Source: UN Global Compact (2020)
Asahi Breweries is developing 'high-biomass sugarcane' or 'Monster Cane', designed to produce ethanol without sacrificing sugar output. Could be seen as a positive as ethanol is carbon-neutral with CO2 released in the combustion of the fuel offset by the CO2 captured by plants through photosynthesis. Critics also say ethanol is no solution to global warming if massive inputs of fossil fuels are required to grow the crops and power the facilities used to produce ethanol and land is taken from suppling crops for food and feed.
Source: Impact Lab article (2006)
Directly involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcohol as a core business.
Source: company website (2020) |
Company Details
Type | Wholly-owned subsidiary |
Employees | 2,600 in 2015 |
Subsidiaries | CUB Pty Ltd ![]() Beverage manufacturing Founded in 1903 and Australian owned for over 100 years before being acquired by SABMiller in 2011, who became part of AB InBev in 2017. Then in 2020 Japanese beer giant Asahi took over ownership. Asahi combined CUB with its own drinks portfolio to create Australia's largest beverages company. - Cascade Brewery Company Pty Ltd ![]() Brewer Cascade Brewery was established in 1832 in South Hobart, Tasmania and is the oldest continually operating brewery in Australia. Acquired by CUB in 1993. - Matilda Bay Brewing Company Pty Ltd ![]() Brewery Founded in Western Australia in 1984. Acquired by Carlton & United Breweries in the early 1990's. - 4 Pines Brewing Company ![]() Brewery Founded in 2008 and acquired by AB InBev in 2017, who sold their Australian operations, including 4 Pines, to Asahi in 2020. - Pirate Life Brewing Pty Ltd ![]() Craft brewery Established in South Australia in 2014. Acquired by AB InBev in Dec 2017, who sold their Australian operations, including Pirate Life, to Asahi in 2020. Asahi Lifestyle Beverages ![]() Drinks manufacturer Asahi Lifestyle Beverages (formerly Schweppes Australia) is the non-alcohol division of the Asahi Beverages Group. Asahi bought Schweppes Australia in 2009. - P&N Beverages Australia Pty Ltd ![]() Beverage Manufacturing After the ACCC opposed an earlier acquisition proposal, Asahi revised its proposal in mid-2011 to acquire P&N and simultaneously divest P&N's soft drink, cordial and energy drink business to Tru Blu Beverages - a newly created company owned by P&N's Managing Director, Peter Brooks. Asahi retained P&N's bottled water and fruit juice business which has been integrated into Schweppes Australia. - Better Drinks Co Ltd ![]() Beverages manufacturer Established in New Zealand as Charlie's in 1999 and floated on the NZ Stock Exchange in July 2005. Bought Phoenix Organics in Dec 2005. Operates mainly in Australia and New Zealand. Bought by Asahi in 2011 and renamed Better Drinks Co in 2013. Asahi Beverages (NZ) Ltd ![]() Alcohol beverages Acquired by Asahi Group in 2011. Formerly known as Independent Liquor (NZ) Ltd. Asahi Premium Beverages Pty Ltd ![]() Beverages Acquired by Asahi Group in 2011 and renamed Asahi Premium Beverages (formerly Independent Distillers) in 2013. Also distributes drinks from sister company Schweppes Australia's non-alcoholic drinks portfolio. - Mountain Goat Beer Pty Ltd ![]() Craft brewery Founded in 1996 by Cam Hines and Dave Bonighton, who continue to manage the company. Their beer is brewed in the inner Melbourne suburb of Richmond. Acquired by Asahi in Sept 2015. |
Contact Details
Address | Suite 104, 68-72 York St, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205, Australia |
consumerrelations@asahi.com.au | |
Website | www.asahi.com.au |
Products / Brands
Asahi Beverages
7UP Soft Drinks ALT Soft Drinks Asahi Soukai Beer Asahi Super Dry Beer Charlie's Juice & Fruit Drinks Cool Ridge Bottled Water Cottee's Cordial Cricketers Arms Beer Estrella Beer Everglades Liqueur Extra Juicy Juice & Fruit Drinks Frantelle Bottled Water Gatorade Sports Drinks Green Beacon Beer Grolsch Beer Highland Premix Spirits Loys Soft Drinks Mirinda Soft Drinks Mist Wood Gin Premix Spirits Mountain Dew Soft Drinks Mountain Goat Beer Mudshake Premix Spirits Nikka Whisky (other) Passiona Soft Drinks Pepsi Soft Drinks Peroni Beer Phoenix Organic ![]() Phoenix Organic ![]() Pilsner Urquell Beer |
Pop Tops Juice & Fruit Drinks Pop Tops Bottled Water Real Iced Tea Co Iced Tea Red Bear Premix Spirits Rhythm Premix Spirits Schweppes Cordial Schweppes Soft Drinks Schweppes Mineral Water Solo Soft Drinks Somersby Cider Spicebox Whisky (other) Spring Valley Juice & Fruit Drinks Sunkist Soft Drinks Tarax Soft Drinks Tequila Blu Tequila Two Suns Beer Untold Premix Spirits Untold Rum Vale Beer VDKA 6100 Vodka Vodka Cruiser Premix Spirits Vodka O Vodka Vodka O Premix Spirits VOSS Bottled Water Wild Moose Premix Spirits Woodstock Bourbon Woodstock Premix Spirits |
Carlton & United Breweries
Abbotsford Beer Beez Neez Beer Black Douglas Premix Spirits Black Douglas Scotch Whisky Bulmers Cider Carlton Beer Cascade Beer Castle Beer Chatelle Napoleon Brandy Continental Liqueurs Liqueur Cougar Bourbon Cougar Premix Spirits Coyote Tequila Crown Beer Dirty Granny Cider Fat Yak Beer Foster's Beer Great Northern Beer Karloff Vodka |
Kent Old Brown Beer Kirov Vodka Lazy Yak Beer Light Ice Beer Matilda Bay Beer Melbourne Bitter Beer Mercury Cider Pirate Life Beer Power's Beer Prince Albert's Gin Pure Blonde Beer Pure Blonde Cider Redback Beer Resch's Beer Sheaf Stout Beer Spring Cider Co Cider VB Beer Wild Yak Beer |
4 Pines
4 Pines Beer
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