The Future of Beer is (Ever)Green!
HEINEKEN unveils EverGreen 2030, its five-year strategy to accelerate growth
Amsterdam, 23 October - HEINEKEN sees significant headroom for growth in the beer category, the company shall announce today at the unveiling of its EverGreen 2030 strategy despite the beer category's current sluggish recovery from COVID and inflationary-impacts. EverGreen is HEINEKEN's sharpened five-year strategy to accelerate growth in a rapidly changing world. Changing consumer trends pose both challenges and new opportunities. Beer leads the beverage market, capturing 42% of consumer spending on alcohol, and capturing twice the amount consumers spend on carbonated soft drinks. The beer category offers meaningful room to grow through innovation and technology, tapping into emerging consumer trends and markets, and stretching brands into new occasions.
HEINEKEN is uniquely positioned to shape long-term growth through its advantaged global footprint with leading market positions in key fast growing emerging markets like India, Vietnam, Ethiopia and Mexico. HEINEKEN is also a global leader and pioneer in growing beer segments like premium beer and 0.0 beer. Sharper differentiation and focus across its geographical footprint, segments and brands provides further opportunity. By leveraging its global scale and accelerating digital deployment, HEINEKEN will step up Productivity and create a more agile, harmonised and cost-effective Future Fit organisation. EverGreen 2030 is designed to deliver superior and balanced growth with attractive shareholder returns, while future-proofing the company.
Dolf van den Brink, Chairman of the Executive Board / CEO, commented:
"The future of beer is (Ever)Green! As the next step in our 160 years pioneering journey, we are fundamentally transforming our business to stay ahead in an increasingly volatile geopolitical and economic landscape. In the long run, beer has proven to be a resilient category, always recovering after every major historical downturn. EverGreen 2030 is further sharpening HEINEKEN's growth strategy, allowing us to confidently navigate consumer shifts and capturing structural growth opportunities through its advantaged global footprint, leadership in growth segments and its power brands. By focusing on Accelerating Growth, Stepping up Productivity and Future-Proofing HEINEKEN we are committed to creating long-term value and delivering attractive returns for shareholders underpinned by disciplined execution and sustainable investment".
Accelerate Growth
Over time the beer category is expected to structurally grow volume by ?1% p.a., and HEINEKEN is uniquely positioned to seize this opportunity through its advantaged global footprint and strong presence in developed and emerging markets. In both types of markets, beer is gaining share of throat. In emerging markets, representing 80% of the global population, with only half the per capita beer consumption of developed markets, trends such as population growth led by Gen Z, urbanisation, and a growing middle class are fuelling demand. HEINEKEN is concentrating its efforts on 17 Focus Growth Markets and it will continue to build its leadership position across 50 markets where it already holds number one, or strong number two, positions. Footprint optimisation through targeted acquisitions and divestments will further strengthen HEINEKEN's position, most recently illustrated by the announced acquisition of FIFCO's beverage and retail business in Central America.
At the same time, HEINEKEN is shaping the future of beer with leading brands and innovations across key segments: Premium, Mainstream, Low and No-alcohol (LoNo), and Beyond Beer. HEINEKEN pioneered for example the next generation of 0.0 beer through superior taste, with premium positioning under the Heineken brand and by investing in social acceptability through advertising, availability and F1 sponsorship. HEINEKEN is fast expanding brands and innovations in LoNo and Beyond Beer adapting to and creating new consumer trends.
Step up Productivity and Focus Future Fit
Productivity strengthens HEINEKEN's foundation and funds its EverGreen growth ambitions. The €3+ bn in gross savings achieved in the past five years under EverGreen 2025, supported HEINEKEN to counter inflation and navigate turbulent times. Going forward the company is targeting an additional €400-500 million in annual gross savings.
To deliver on these ambitions, HEINEKEN will double the size of HEINEKEN Business Services (HBS), creating global capability centres anchored in new technologies. This approach will enable local operating companies to focus on execution and winning with customers and consumers. Starting in 2026, HEINEKEN's Amsterdam head office will transform into a more focused strategic centre, which includes a transition of roles to HBS and the redesign of selected departments.
Furthermore, HEINEKEN is accelerating its digital transformation and scaling the rollout of its Digital Backbone (DBB), a multi-year, €1+ bn investment transforming how HEINEKEN operates across more than 70 markets. Through its sharpened Brew a Better World ambitions, HEINEKEN will continue to invest in sustainability to deliver impact and long-term value.
Drive Value Creation
At the Capital Markets Event today, HEINEKEN will give guidance on its medium-term ambitions for EverGreen 2030 as follows:
- Building on the structural growth of the beer category and its advantaged footprint, HEINEKEN expects to deliver mid-single-digit organic net revenue growth.
- Supported by its stepped-up productivity programme, HEINEKEN expects for organic operating profit (beia) to be ahead of organic net revenue growth, and for organic earnings per share (EPS) to be in line or ahead of organic operating profit (beia) growth.
- With a structured focus on cash generation, HEINEKEN expects to deliver over 90% cash conversion and intends to introduce Returns on Invested Capital (ROIC) in its management incentive framework.
- HEINEKEN updates its water efficiency target to be below 2.6hl/hl by 2030 and reconfirms its commitments to scope 1 & 2 net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and diversity in talent.
A new Winning Aspiration
With the unveiling of EverGreen 2030, HEINEKEN is also launching its new winning aspiration, HEINEKEN, The World's Pioneering Beer Company. This aspiration combines the company's legacy of over 160 years of global expansion, with its track record of innovative product development and brand building capability. Pioneering will be the key aspiration as the company enters the next phase to leverage much stronger its advantaged geographical footprint and portfolio of both global and local brands that deeply resonate with consumers.
HEINEKEN Capital Markets Event
EverGreen 2030 shall be presented 23 October 2025 to the investor community at HEINEKEN's Capital Markets Event in Seville, Spain. To follow the HEINEKEN Capital Markets Event live, please registerhere.
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Enquiries
| Media | Investors |
| Christiaan Prins | Tristan van Strien |
| Director Global Communications | Global Director Investor Relations |
| E-mail: pressoffice.heineken@heineken.com | Lennart Scholtus / Chris Steyn |
| Tel: +31-20-5239355 | Investor Relations Manager / Senior Analyst |
| E-mail: investors@heineken.com | |
| Tel: +31-20-5239590 |
Editorial information
HEINEKEN is the World's Pioneering Beer Company. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium and nonalcoholic beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 340 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. With HEINEKEN's over 85,000 employees, we brew the joy of true togetherness to inspire a better world. Our dream is to shape the future of beer and beyond to win the hearts of consumers. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brew a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Most recent information is available on our Company's website and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations and assumptions with regard to the financial position and results of HEINEKEN's activities, anticipated developments and other factors. All statements other than statements of historical facts are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements and information in HEINEKEN's nonfinancial reporting, such as HEINEKEN's emission reduction and other climate change related matters (including actions, potential impacts and risks associated therewith). These forward-looking statements are identified by use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition", "anticipate", "believe", "could", "estimate", "expect", "goals", "intend", "may", "milestones", "objectives", "outlook", "plan", "probably", "project", "risks", "schedule", "seek", "should", "target", "will" and similar terms and phrases. These forward-looking statements, while based on management's current expectations and assumptions, are not guarantees of future performance since they are subject to numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may change over time, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond HEINEKEN's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as but not limited to future market and economic conditions, the behaviour of other market participants, changes in consumer preferences, the ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and achieve anticipated synergies, costs of raw materials and other goods and services, interest-rate and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in tax rates, changes in law, environmental and physical risks, change in pension costs, the actions of government regulators and weather conditions. These and other risk factors are detailed in HEINEKEN's publicly filed annual reports. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only of the date of this press release. HEINEKEN assumes no duty to and does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Market share estimates contained in this press release are based on external sources, such as specialised research institutes, in combination with management estimates. HEINEKEN undertakes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such external sources.
Attachment
- Press Release HEINEKEN unveils EverGreen 2030 (https://ml-eu.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/7db8aeda-d112-4c32-8424-ed1eeb593e8f)
