Coca-Cola commits to sustainable sourcing in WWF partnership

As natural resources continue to be depleted, an increase in sustainable sourcing is necessary to lessen the environmental impact of large corporations in the food and drink industry. Furthering its goals toward sustainability, Coca-Cola extended its partnership with World Wildlife Fund by promoting new environment goals, according to Food Product Design. These initiatives involve new sustainable management focuses, as well as updated conservation and performance targets.

Advancing sustainability programs

"As we face a resource-stressed world with growing global demands on food and water, we must seek solutions that drive mutual benefit for business, communities and nature," said Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO at Coca-Cola. "Working with WWF will continue to challenge our company to advance our sustainability programs, and WWF's expertise will be instrumental in reaching our environmental performance goals, some of which they help us set."

The new goals associated with Coca-Cola's partnership with WWF include eco-friendly management of water, energy and packing use in addition to sustainable sourcing of its main agricultural ingredients. The targets created under Coca-Cola's umbrella of almost 300 bottling partners in more than 200 countries, include ensuring healthy and resilient freshwater systems, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent and responsibly sourcing material for PlantBottle packaging. 

"We will deliver for today, growing a low-carbon, zero waste business, and inspire change for a more sustainable tomorrow," Coca-Cola said on its corporate responsibility and sustainability Web page.

In its list of priorities, Coca-Cola said it wants to lead the industry and "make the biggest difference" in the areas of energy and climate change as well as sustainable packaging and recycling. To meet its goals on energy use, the company hopes to renew 100 percent of the water it uses and also plans to meet a 75 percent recovery rate of bottles and cans in developed countries to meet its packaging and recycling priorities.