Coca-Cola launches new annual sustainability report

The Coca-Cola Company has released its seventh systemwide Sustainability Review, entitled Our Commitment to Making a Positive Difference in the World. The report contains 25 sustainability goals across seven focus areas for the soft drinks company and its bottling partners.

The report, which also features the company's sustainability strategy and progress, was created using stakeholder feedback and the disclosure requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the CEO Water Mandate.

The Review includes summaries of the company and bottling partner performance and progress across seven core areas key to Coca-Cola's business sustainability - Beverage Benefits; Active Healthy Living; Community; Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection; Sustainable Packaging; Water Stewardship; and Workplace.

Some of the performance highlights from the 2009/2010 Sustainability Review include - launch of more than 180 low- and no-calorie drinks in 2009; introduction of a 'mini can' that allows consumers to manage their portions; and support to First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative along with a coalition of food and beverage manufacturers pledging to cut 1.5 trillion calories from their combined product portfolios in the US by the end of 2015.

Other key highlights include placement of calorie information on the front of nearly all packages by end of 2011; '5 BY 20' initiative, a 10-year global commitment to empower 5 million women inside and outside the Coca-Cola system by 2020; launch of Haiti Hope Project, a five-year, $7.5 million program.

In terms of Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection, the company said that it improved energy use efficiency 13% since 2004 and reduced absolute emissions from manufacturing operations in developed countries by 8% since 2004; gained advanced energy efficiency of cooling equipment with installation of some 3.1 million intelligent energy management devices to date; and placement of more than 127,000 HFC-free refrigeration systems, bringing total placement to more than 240,000 units. Working to phase out the use of HFCs in all new cold drink equipment as of 2015.

Sustainable Packaging initiatives of the company include delivery of 2.5 billion PlantBottle packaging bottles in nine major markets while working to advance the use of PlantBottle packaging in every bottle sold by 2020; support to the direct recovery of 36% of the bottles and cans placed into the market by the Coca-Cola system.

In case of Water Stewardship, the company said it achieved a 13% improvement in water use efficiency since 2004, using an average of 2.36 liters of water to make one liter of beverage; launched systemwide water resource sustainability standard requiring each of the more than 900 bottling plants to evaluate the sustainability of the water resources used to produce beverages and develop a source water protection plan by 2013.

Coca Cola' Workplace achievements include creation of more than 3,000 Micro Distribution Centers to date, employing more than 13,500 people across Africa, generating jobs, promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening local communities; and continuation of improvement of workplace safety programs through development of mandatory safety training for all Company associates.