This unique achievement in the beverage sector demonstrates Coca-Cola HBC’s leading sustainability practices and transparent reporting.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Coca‑Cola HBC, a leading bottler of The Coca‑Cola Company, was named today sustainability leader in the beverage industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices assessment for the fourth consecutive year. Following a robust sustainability performance in 2016, particularly in the areas of labor practices, strategy for emerging markets, health and nutrition, and across the environmental dimension, the Company achieved a total score of 90, which is 38 points higher than the industry average.
During the year, Coca‑Cola HBC continued to focus on minimizing its environmental impact further and driving positive change in collaboration with its partners by developing a sustainable value chain and supporting the communities to enhance their overall wellbeing.
Building on the improvements made in previous years, the amount of water used for producing a liter of beverage declined by 3% in 2016. The energy use ratio also declined by 5%, the result of our efforts to use less energy to produce a liter of beverage. The equivalent of 37% of total packaging placed on the marketplace was recovered for recycling in 2016.
Coca‑Cola HBC serves approximately 600 million consumers across 28 established, developing and emerging markets on three continents. During 2016 the company invested €7.3 million – 1.6% of its pre-tax profit – in numerous initiatives to improve community wellbeing, focusing on environmental and water stewardship and youth development, in partnership with more than 294 NGOs.
2016 key sustainability highlights:
- 31,083 people employed
- 35,000 suppliers in the value chain
- €3.1 billion suppliers spend
- €281 million total taxes paid
- 6% direct carbon emissions reduced year on year
- Waste per liter of beverage produced declined by 33% year on year
88% sustainable employee engagement score