Coca-Cola Releases Water Stewardship Progress Report

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ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today marks the 20th annual World Water Day, an occasion established by the United Nations to focus attention on the sustainable management of freshwater resources. To celebrate World Water Day and the significant strides that Coca-Cola has made in its water stewardship journey, the Company released its fifth annual Global Water Stewardship and Replenish Report today. The report details how Coca-Cola is improving its water performance and managing its water resources to deliver water for health and human prosperity.

“The future of communities, nature and business depends on responsible water management,” said Bea Perez, Coca-Cola’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “To overcome today’s water challenges, we must all take extraordinary action. At Coca-Cola, we’re utilizing innovative techniques and collaborating through world-class partnerships to ensure the sustainability of this precious shared resource.”

In 2007, The Coca-Cola Company committed to safely return to nature and to communities an amount of water equivalent to what is used in all of its beverages and their production by 2020. To meet this goal and measure progress along the way, the Company established the following targets:

  • Reduce the Company’s water use ratio while growing product volume, with a target to improve water efficiency by 20 percent by 2012 (using a 2004 baseline).
  • Recycle the water used by the Company in its manufacturing processes and return it back to the environment at a level that supports aquatic life.
  • Replenish or offset the water used in the Company’s finished beverages by participating in locally relevant projects that support communities and nature.

The 2012 Global Water Stewardship and Replenish Report details Coca-Cola’s advancement toward these targets:

  • Since 2004, the Company has achieved a 16 percent improvement in its water use ratio.
  • The Company estimates that 96 percent of its facilities are in compliance with its stringent wastewater treatment standards.
  • Approximately 54.8 billion liters of water have been replenished to communities and nature through locally relevant Community Water Partnership projects, representing 35 percent of water used in the Company’s finished beverages.

Coca-Cola partners with its bottlers and suppliers, as well as with more than 500 external organizations, including governments, NGOs, civil society and other companies, to meet its water stewardship goals. Since 2005, the Coca-Cola system has engaged in more than 386 Community Water Partnership projects in 94 countries. The range of projects includes watershed protection; access to water and sanitation; water for productive use, such as agricultural water efficiency; and education and awareness programs.

To download our report and learn more about our water stewardship journey, please visit our press center. To view a video about our efforts, please click here.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.7 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.

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The Coca-Cola Company
Lisa Manley, +01 404-676-7563
Global Public Affairs & Communications Department

Source: The Coca-Cola Company

Released March 22, 2012