Cēsu alus has received a gold level assessment within the Sustainability Index project, which assesses the sustainability of companies and corporate responsibility. The performance of the company was particularly evaluated in the implementation of community support projects.

The Sustainability Index is a strategic management tool that helps Latvian companies to diagnose the sustainability of their businesses and the level of corporate responsibility. It also gives objective criteria to society, and governmental and non-governmental organisations in order to praise and support companies that help to strengthen the Latvian economy in the long term.

The methodology of the Sustainability Index is based on the experience of the most powerful global indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Business in the Community CR Index. The localised index assesses the performance of companies in compliance with economic, social and environmental issues relevant to Latvia, while simultaneously representing the internationally recognised understanding of corporate responsibility and sustainability criteria.

The gold level group is entered by companies that demonstrate openness and transparency all the most important sustainability aspects while communicating publicly. They aim at expanding and adjusting their risk management processes by incorporating the most essential corporate responsibility aspects. The corporate responsibility strategy of these companies comprises clear and measurable aims.

The Sustainability Index allows assessing the performance of a company in all corporate responsibility aspects – environment, market relations, working environment and social responsibility. The main directions of Cēsu alus for maintaining sustainable activity are high quality maintenance of the product, provision of environmentally safe production, improvement of working environment, development of employees and socially responsible communication with society. Every year the company also defines definite priorities in the above-mentioned fields.

Eva Sietiņsone-Zatlere, Chairman of the JSC Cēsu alus Board: “Responsible business practices and transparent communication are the responsibilities to be taken by every entrepreneur with long-term thinking. The priorities proposed last year involved youth education on alcohol dependence, as well as investment improvement in the promotion of local community welfare. These projects are a contribution to the development of a dutiful and responsible future society, and their return or shared social benefits are long-term aspects.”

According to the assessment of 2012, JSC Cēsu alus has been particularly highlighted in the Society section, evaluating the performance of the company in society support projects – the contribution to the support of the local community, and employee involvement in social support projects. In 2012, the company started an alcohol dependence project in Latvian schools “Be NON-addicted!”, and continued with the employees’ charity event “Fair of Positive Thoughts” aimed at supporting the Cēsis children’s day centre for unprivileged families “Sun Path”, and agreed terms with Cēsis District Council regarding the building of a new skatepark in Cēsis in 2013.