The Coca-Cola Company. Csr Policy
The Coca-Cola Company and its CSR policy There is no doubt that one of the most popular multinationals today is The Coca-Cola Company. It has strong CSR policy where “CSR” is not only about being responsible for customers and fans around the world but also being aware of employees’ needs. Talking about employees – The Roberts Environmental Center at Claremont McKenna College in California publishes annual analyses of corporate environmental and social reports (together called sustainability reports).
In 2009, The Coca-Cola Company received an overall rating of A+, topping the list of companies reviewed in its sector. Among the keys to earning that recognition is maintaining world-class standards for fair and dignified treatment of all the people who work for it. Its Workplace Rights Policy serves to ensure that a consistent approach to workplace rights is applied worldwide – as an integral part of culture, strategy and day-to-day operations. However this is just one side of the coin. Suppliers are another group The Coca-Cola Company proves loyal to.
Having a sound, stable and ethical supply base is important for its growth and the footprint it leaves in local communities around the world. Its suppliers provide its system with materials, including ingredients, packaging and machinery, as well as goods and services. As a company, it has a responsibility to hold its direct suppliers and bottling partners to standards no less than those required by applicable law. It also has an opportunity to support community development by purchasing goods and services from minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs).
Furthermore in 2009 The Coca-Cola Company is the recipient of the prestigious World Environment Center’s (WEC) Twenty-Fifth Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development (for implementing strategic business initiatives in the high impact areas of water stewardship, sustainable packaging, energy management and climate protection) and is among the 10 recipients of the Natural Health Magazine’s first “Green Choice” awards (selected because of its leadership and commitment to recycling and impressive light-weighting efforts).
Although it is really difficult to point out all the “green” initiatives this multinational is up to daily, monthly, annually or on a long-term basis, here are some of its highlights. Firstly, water efficiency is viewed as a main goal. To be the most efficient water user among peer companies is a distinction the company wants to achieve. In 2008, on average they used 2. 43liters of water to produce a one liter beverage. One liter goes into the beverage itself, and 1. 43liters are used for manufacturing processes such as rinsing, cleaning, and cooling. Still they are nearly half way to their 2012 goal of 2. 7liters per liter which will be a 20 percent improvement. Additionally, since 2005 they have been involved in more than 250 community water partnerships in 70 countries to support locally relevant initiatives, such as watershed protection; expanding community drinking water and sanitation access; agricultural water use efficiency; and education and awareness programs. In 2009, respected experts are asked to work with them to calculate the water benefits of these projects. Secondly, considerable attention is paid to packaging. For an example – more than half of the metal in aluminum cans is recycled.
The Company’s plant in the United States is the world’s largest plastic bottle to bottle recycling plant with capacity to produce approximately 100 million pounds of food grade recycled PET plastic for reuse each year – the equivalent of producing nearly 2 billion 20ounce Coca-Cola bottles. As a conclusion: The Coca-Cola Company is one of those multinationals we can accuse of great marketing strategy and still believe it is not all about making profit or making people turn a blind eye to its “dark” side. Sometimes it does matter to do things with an appeal!
