Coca‑Cola HBC Romania was recognised for the second year in a row as the most responsible company in Romania and ranks first in the top of the most environmentally involved and transparent companies in the country by the Romania CSR Index. Coca‑Cola HBC Romania registered a score of 94.57%, an increase of approximately 9% compared to 2016.

The results of the study were unveiled during the Best Practices at the Romanian CSR Conference organized by The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services. Among the main speakers of the conference was Irina Ionescu, Public Affairs & Communications Manager for Coca‑Cola HBC Romania, who discussed the importance of the CSR for local companies in 2017, and highlighted the projects developed by the company that has made a huge community impact.

The conference ended with the presentation of the Romania CSR Index Study and the announcement of Coca‑Cola HBC as the most responsible company in Romania.

The analysis considered 100 of the biggest companies in Romania, which were analyzed against 43 indicators, split into 9 categories:

  • Corporate governance and transparency
  • Diversity
  • Economic impact
  • Environment
  • Human rights and anti-bribery policies
  • Employees
  • Consumers
  • Community & philanthropy
  • Value chain

This recognition was based on the analysis of the Coca‑Cola HBC Romania Sustainability Report of 2015, through which the Romanian team entered the results in four of the most important areas of interest: community, environment, workplace, and market.

Keeping its promise to generate community wellbeing and inspire a better future, Coca‑Cola HBC Romania invested, in 2015, over 700, 000 EURO in CSR programs.

Some of the most important results integrated into the Sustainability Report are

  • Over 90% of the company’s suppliers are local
  • Coca‑Cola HBC Romania reduced C02 emissions by 5.32 compared to 2014
  • Half of the electricity used in Timisoara and Poiana Negrii plants comes from renewable sources. In 2015 the company invested in approximately 245, 000 EURO in implementing energy efficiency technologies
  • Over 66, 500 trees were planted with the support of Coca‑Cola HBC, in activities developed in partnership with NGOs and with the help of volunteers from the company
  • Over 700 members of the Coca‑Cola HBC Romania team were involved in volunteer activities in 2015
  • Over 45% of the company’s employees were involved in leadership and management programs

To promote the results, ‘sustainable kits’ were sent to key journalists and bloggers Packed in a recycled cardboard box, the kits contained small bottles with flower seeds and a message to say that the company published the report online only.

Emilia Petre, Communications Manager, explains the creative idea behind this, “It was our way to sustainably communicate the report without printing unnecessary copies. Unfortunately, we do need to send out some printed copies too, so each one of these reports is accompanied by special paper with seeds to be planted, along with a message stating that our team will plant a tree for each printed report we give away”