Uganda Breweries Limited has received the Social and Governance (ESG) champion of the year 2023 award at the annual private sector award gala organized by Private Sector Foundation Uganda.
The award recognized UBL's ESG program that has continually promoted and improved the welfare of the communities it which it works in.
The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) an apex body for the private sector in Uganda, organized its annual Private Sector Development Awards which brought together private sector captains of industry,
heads of mission, development partners, and government of Uganda agencies.
These awards recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals, business associations, community groups, cooperatives, private companies, and government agencies to the growth and development of the private sector in Uganda.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Stephen Asiimwe, Chief Executive Officer, stated that these awards are meant to recognize and celebrate the individuals and organizations in the private that are working tirelessly to support and grow businesses of all sizes.
''I commend the various companies that have received awards today and encourage all of you to continue your work which is yielding positive results all over the country,'' he added.
The 2023 Private Sector Development Awards were presented in the categories of business
association of the year and private sector environment, social and governance (ESG) champion of the
year.
UBL's approach to environment sustainability is divided into three areas including preserve water for life, accelerate to low carbon, and become sustainable by design.
Under preserve water for life, by 2030 every drink UBL makes will use 30% less water than today and by 2026 the organization intends to replenish more water than it uses in all water-stressed areas.
UBL's efforts in environmental conservation are enshrined in the 'Pioneer grain to glass sustainability' in which the organization commits to preserving natural resources to tackle climate change to create a more sustainable world.
The company has set a bold target to reach net zero carbon across its operations.
With their biomass plant in place, they have reduced half the carbon in their operations already and will remove the rest by switching to renewable energy everywhere they operate.
On forest cover restoration, in 2019 UBL launched the ''Running Out Of Trees'' - ROOTs tree-planting campaign by rallying other corporate bodies, government bodies, and the public to raise awareness about
the adverse impact of tree-cutting activities on the environment.
Together with the Ministry of Water and Environment, UBL set out on an ambitious target to plant 40 million trees a year for the following five years.
UBL also creates fair and inclusive communities in areas where it does its business by promoting the inclusion of underrepresented groups, including women, young people, and persons with disabilities.
Currently, four out of eight UBL executives are women, at the most senior level, women make up 44% of the board.