Stakeholder Engagement

Resources

BIER Issues Update to Stakeholders - March 2011

Overview of BIER for external stakeholders

List of participants in BIER Stakeholder Dialogue sessions

Environmental stewardship requires that beverage companies look beyond their own operations and engage with a wide-range of stakeholders. This engagement ensures a holistic understanding of key environmental issues, the company’s influence and impact on a given issue or situation, and the range of potential opportunities for improvement. Stakeholder engagement is a key pillar of achieving the objectives of BIER, including informing public policy, ensuring alignment and avoiding duplication, and serving as a technical resource and knowledge base on industry-specific environmental issues.

BIER is engaged with three primary external stakeholder groups:

The Roundtable utilizes the following core approaches for conducting Stakeholder Engagement activities:

Roundtable Meeting Participation

A portion of each Roundtable meeting is devoted to engaging and strengthening relationships with select stakeholders of specific interest to our member companies. The session provides an opportunity to exchange information on current initiatives and promote interactive dialogue on topics of shared interest.

Technical Collaboration

As an industry coalition, BIER will explore complex technical issues and develop working products that our members collectively feel best represent the interests of the beverage industry. BIER will distribute these work products and actively pursue input and endorsement by key external stakeholder groups. BIER also has an opportunity and desire to support external stakeholders in their work to advance environmental issues and shape policy. In such situations, BIER can serve as a technical resource and knowledge base for the beverage sector.

Direct Engagement

BIER engages directly with key stakeholders, including trade groups, non-governmental organizations and technical service providers, to leverage available knowledge, experience and advocacy support. The American Beverage Association (ABA), Ecolab, and Diversey have been active participants in the Roundtable since its inception in 2006.