OREANDA-NEWS. October 10, 2012. Carlsberg Group, the world’s fourth largest brewer, and its subsidiary Baltika Breweries, Russia’s largest beer company, are to invest up to 1 billion Rubles (around EUR 25 mln) in environmental projects in Russia related to water, agriculture and climate change.

This will be achieved in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). An agreement on this, signed in St.Petersburg today, was witnessed by Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, and a delegation of high-level officials from the public and private sectors.

This public-private partnership is the first of its kind in Russia and represents a new way of thinking about environmental sustainability. The partnership is expected to deliver environmental benefits by reducing natural resource consumption, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, while also improving the agro-ecosystem and water systems.

Isaac Sheps, Senior Vice President of Carlsberg Group in Eastern Europe and President of Baltika Breweries , said: “This partnership is an historic example of a public-private partnership where we, as market leaders, invest in supporting and sustaining the environment in which we operate. The partnership shows our commitment to investing not only in the Russian economy but also in its environment, and we do so by partnering with one of the most respected and experienced international organizations in the field of industrial environmental sustainability.”

He added that the Carlsberg Group is the most efficient global brewer in terms of water and energy consumption as well as CO2 emissions within its production facilities, and as one of the top performers in the Group, Baltika Breweries has received widespread recognition for its environmental sustainability activities in Russia.

With this partnership, UNIDO can support and strengthen these environmental efforts further by generating and disseminating international industry-related knowledge and providing technical expertise. UNIDO has a proven track record of helping industrial organizations improve their environmental standards.

Sergey Korotkov, the Director of UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office in the Russian Federation, said: “This partnership is a good example of how UNIDO and a leading company in the beverage sector contribute to greening the industry in the Russian Federation. We will do so by reducing the environmental footprint in the direct production process, as well as along the supply chain. UNIDO will provide technical expertise and assistance to ensure that activities implemented under this partnership help reduce resource consumption”. Korotkov added that the partnership also aimed to help achieve the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring environmental sustainability, especially within the context of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that 2013 will be the Year of the Environment in the Russian Federation.

By working with UNIDO, Baltika and the Carlsberg Group will have an opportunity to further strenghten one of their core values of engaging with society through dedicated community activities to improving the environment and implement sustainable agricultural practices in agro-projects.