COCA-COLA HBC ANNOUNCES NEW CARBON AND WATER COMMITMENTS
Every drop counts
Water scarcity is a major global issue and represents a significant risk to Coca-Cola HBC AG. Water is at the heart of its business: the company's primary ingredient, central to its manufacturing process and necessary to grow the agricultural ingredients for its products.
Coca-Cola HBC AG works vigorously to conserve water throughout its operations recognising that water stewardship and responsible water use are an integral part of its license to operate.
Ambitious Targets
In November 2015, the company publically announced a new commitment to achieve a 30% reduction in water use intensity (amount of water consumed per litre of produced beverage) by 2020 (compared to 2010).
To achieve this, Coca-Cola HBC AG has developed a water strategy based on three fundamental principles:
- Protecting the water resources supplying its facilities, reducing the amount of water it uses to produce its beverages, and treating waste water to levels that support aquatic life
- Partnering with suppliers to minimise its water footprint across the entire value chain
- Investing in community water conservation projects to replenish the water it uses in its beverages
Working in partnership
In 2014 the company invested more than €5.8 million that saved 1.1 billion m3 of water across all its sites and invested in 21 community water stewardship initiatives. It has also committed to certify all of its sites to either the European Water Stewardship or Alliance for Water Stewardship standards by 2020. These standards recognise excellence at every stage of water management from the protection of water sources, through efficient use of water, to the quality of wastewater released into the environment while requiring engagement with all water users and stakeholders in the community. By the end of 2014 Coca-Cola HBC AG had achieved eight Gold EWS Certifications at CCHBC sites in Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Poland.
This water stewardship strategy drives the company's partnerships with international and national governmental and non-governmental organisations to preserve and protect important watersheds, such as the Danube basin and watershed areas, including wetland habitats and biodiversity. Over the years, Coca-Cola HBC AG and its partners have invested more than €2.5 million in community water stewardship programmes involving a wide range of environmental, awareness-raising and educational initiatives. Activities have reached more than 20 million people through hundreds of events involving almost 1,000 different organisations.
Coca-Cola System initiatives
Recognising that over 80% of its total water footprint is linked to agriculture, Coca-Cola HBC AG has joined The Coca-Cola Company in a global commitment to achieve 100% sustainable supply of agricultural commodities by 2020. The company is partnering with its commodity suppliers to implement The Coca-Cola Sustainable Agriculture Principles, which include water management, water runoff quality, soil erosion prevention and waste water discharge in addition to good farming practices.
As part of the Coca-Cola System, Coca-Cola HBC AG has also committed to replenish 100% of the water it uses in its final beverages by 2020.
Waste Water Treatment
Since 2011, the company has met its commitment to treat 100% of the waste water from its operations in either its own or municipal facilities that deliver treated water capable of sustaining aquatic life. Over the past years, Coca-Cola HBC AG has built 44 waste water treatment plants in its facilities and is currently investigating new technologies for treated waste water purification and reuse.
Execution & Monitoring
To ensure it is on track to meet its long-term goals, Coca-Cola HBC AG set short, medium and long-term targets for water stewardship improvement across its business. Annual targets are set at plant, country, Region and Group level, and progress is reviewed monthly, quarterly and annually.
The company includes targets and KPIs in the performance objectives of managers and employees, according to function and performance affects variable compensation and career development. Independent audits are conducted each year as part of ISO 14001. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is monitored and reported.
