The hoppy pilsner from Singapore, where freshwater is scarce, is part of an effort to promote recycling solutions.
Food and drink, the fuel that keeps negotiators negotiating and reporters reporting, always gets a lot of attention at climate summits.
At this year’s meeting, the Australian delegation is a favorite for its complimentary coffee. Another popular spot is the Azerbaijani pavilion, where the hosts are serving strong tea from gleaming silver samovars.
And then there are the Singaporeans. They’re giving out free beer made from recycled toilet water.
Delegates and observers at the talks, held in a retrofitted soccer stadium on the edge of Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, don’t seem to mind. In fact, the beer’s recycling credentials might add to its appeal among the environmentally minded at this summit, known as COP29.
“At first their eyes widen,” said Samantha Thian, one of the leaders of Singapore’s youth delegation in Baku. “Then we reassure them. They’re usually coming back the next day for another.”
A hoppy pilsner called NEWBrew that comes in pastel cans decorated with solar panels, rain clouds and cityscapes, the beer is part of a collaboration between a Singaporean company called Brewerkz and the country’s national water agency. The project is designed to draw attention to, and normalize, Singapore’s water reclamation efforts.