Anheuser-Busch's 2004 EHS Report focuses on the company's overall progress in promoting excellence in environmental, health, and safety performance for its brewing, packaging, entertainment, and brewing-related operations. The dedication to excellence in EHS initiatives extends to the people of Anheuser-Busch, who continually seek to improve the company's performance by implementing comprehensive system improvements that conserve resources and reduce waste and safety risks.

"Anheuser-Busch seeks to continually improve its environmental performance by operating more efficiently and reducing waste and the environmental impacts of its products," said John Stier, Anheuser-Busch's director of environmental affairs. "As this report shows, we are on target to meet or exceed our goals."

When it comes to energy, breweries have undertaken an initiative that is changing the way they manage their utility operations - including energy, residuals, carbon dioxide, wastewater and water, to achieve greater efficiency. The company continuously searches for innovative approaches to use resources in the most efficient manner, thereby minimizing associated impacts. To this end, the company has funded capital projects, incorporated process changes and increased awareness of energy conservation across the company in an effort to increase energy efficiency.

In addition, recovered biogas (methane), a renewable energy source, now provides 10 percent or more of fuel needs at breweries where it is used. Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest operator of Bio-Energy Recovery Systems, a method of pretreating the brewing-related wastewater anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen) and capturing biogas. This pretreatment beneficially converts waste nutrients into useable energy and reduces by more than 80 percent the organic treatment demands that would otherwise be imposed on local sewer systems.

Workplace safety is a key element to any comprehensive EHS program.

"Providing a safe workplace is a fundamental business responsibility, and one that Anheuser-Busch takes very seriously," said David Costello, the company's director of corporate safety, health and risk management. "The company has developed a strong corporate culture focused on injury and illness prevention, and the recognition we've received shows we're moving in the right direction."

One effort promoting employee safety and wellness is Ability for Life, which debuted in 2003. This is a holistic program focusing on employees and their families, stressing the importance of health-conscious decisions in all actions, such as good nutrition, exercise and conditioning, regular health exams and the use of seat belts and bicycle helmets. Throughout 2004, Anheuser-Busch established AFL steering committees at each brewery and presented informational sessions to all brewery employees.

Significant recognition recently received by the company includes:

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading U.S. brewer. The company also is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and is the world's largest recycler of aluminum beverage containers.