Carlton & United Breweries
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Owned |
JPN |
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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.
Company Ownership
CUB Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd ![]() owns 100% of CUB Pty Ltd |
AUS | website | ||||
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. | ||||||
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 | ||
CUB Pty Ltd | ||||
Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020) |
Between 2013 and 2017 this company paid zero tax on a total income of $8.7 billion, earning the number 20 spot on Michael West's Top 40 Tax Dodgers 2019. West calculated which of Australia's largest companies have paid the least tax, or no tax, on the highest incomes using four years of tax transparency data published by the Australian Tax Office.
Source: Michael West (2019) |
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2018 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about an ad by this company on the grounds that they breached advertising codes. The ads were subsequently discontinued or modified. The ad made fun of people with ginger hair and portrayed them in an inferior manner.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2018)
This company has been criticised for leveraging the popularity of the AFL and NRL to market their alcohol brands to kids. Of the four foreign-owned alcohol companies that have stitched-up the majority of alcohol advertising deals with the AFL and NRL, Carlton & United Breweries has the most advertising deals.
Source: Fare (2019)
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2016 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about a cinema ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was an image that showed a hand offering a beer to a kangaroo who was reaching out to hold it and the caption 'Kangabrew'. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2016)
55 maintenance workers at this company's Abbotsford plant were sacked in 2016 and then told they could reapply for their jobs if they accepted worse conditions and pay cuts of up to 65%. The action has sparked industrial action, community protest, public outcry and boycott calls.
Source: news article (2016)
According to the democracyforsale.net website, this company donated $179,013 to Australia's major political parties between 2012 and 2018, as disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision (AEC).
Source: Democracy For Sale (2018)
This company is Australia's largest cider producer. Most of the apple concentrate used to make this cider is imported from China.
Source: ABC (2015)
In 2014 CUB was fined $20,400 and provided an undertaking to the ACCC for representing that its Byron Bay Pale Lager was brewed by a small brewer in Byron Bay when this wasn't so. CUB agreed to cease distribution of product with the misleading labelling, and place corrective notices.
Source: news article (2014)
This company works with the not-for-profit organisation Greenfleet to calculate and offset emissions from flights and their fleet of vehicles. This company has earned the Greenfleet Huon Award, for consistently offsetting emissions for five years and over.
Source: Greenfleet (2015)
In March 2018 CUB announced it will source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables, after signing a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with German renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler, BayWa r.e.
Source: company website (2018)
This company has signed the ABAC Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code, which is designed to regulate alcohol advertising and marketing within Australia.
Source: ABAC (2017)
This company makes voluntary contributions to DrinkWise Australia, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 by the alcohol industry, whose stated goal is to help bring about a healthier and safer drinking culture in Australia.
Source: DrinkWise (2020)
This company has implemented the Sustainable Development policy framework of its parent company, SABMiller, which consists of 10 policy areas including alcohol responsibility, water, energy and carbon, packaging, waste, human rights, and transparency and ethics.
Source: company website (2015)
Directly involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcohol as a core business.
Source: company website (2020) |
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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 |
Founded | 1903 |
Revenue | $2.2 billion in 2019 |
Employees | 1,230 in 2019 |
Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
Subsidiaries | 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. |
Contact Details
Address | 77 Southbank Blvd, Southbank, VIC, 3006, Australia |
Phone | 03 9633 2000 |
Fax | 03 9633 2002 |
carlton@custhelp.com | |
Website | www.cub.com.au |
Products / Brands
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 |