LONDON – Earlier this week, Coca-Cola Enterprises – the leading Western European marketer, producer and distributor of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages and one of the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers – launched its 10th annual Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability report, which includes its most ambitious commitments to date. The new targets provide a strong response to stakeholder feedback and address issues around well-being, the environment and employability, which affect the communities in which CCE operates.
CCE’s commitments include:
- Reducing calories per liter across CCE’s entire portfolio by 10% by 2020
- Halving the carbon footprint of its business by 2020
- Ensuring that 40% of the PET it uses is recycled and/or from renewable materials by 2020
- Supporting the skills development and learning needs of 250,000 young people every year
According to a statement from CCE, the bold calorie reduction target represents a significant leadership position for the soft drinks industry amid growing concerns about calorie intake and obesity. CCE has also committed to encouraging people to be physically active, targeting three million people across its territories by 2020.
John F. Brock, chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: “Ten years into our sustainability journey, we are proud of our achievements but we know that there is still much more to do. Our new commitments embrace both environmental and social issues – with a stronger focus than ever before on promoting the well-being of our consumers. If we want to build a long-term sustainable business, there’s no room for complacency and these ambitious targets reflect our desire to take a lead in our industry when it comes to sustainability.”
His statement was echoed by Joe Franses, CCE director of corporate responsibility and sustainability, who emphasized that the company’s new commitments “have been heavily shaped by the expectations of our stakeholders – we listened, and their feedback has helped us set new and more challenging goals, particularly around well-being and carbon. This isn’t just another report – it’s a milestone and an opportunity to make a real difference.”
The report is available on CCE’s website www.cokecce.com.