Staying the course: global beverage industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the fourth consecutive year

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 labour 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 minimising 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 litre of beverage declined by 3% in 2016. The energy use ratio also declined by 5%, meaning that the company needs less energy to produce a litre 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 supplier spend
• €281 million total taxes paid
• 6% direct carbon emissions reduced year on year
• Waste per litre of beverage produced declined by 33% year on year
• 88% sustainable employee engagement score

Notes

Read more about Coca‑Cola HBC sustainability performance at http://coca-colahellenic.com/en/sustainability/.

About Coca‑Cola HBC Group

Coca‑Cola HBC is a leading bottler of The Coca‑Cola Company with a sales volume of more than 2 billion unit cases. It has a broad geographic footprint with operations in 28 countries serving a population of approximately 595 million people. Coca‑Cola HBC offers a diverse range of non-alcoholic ready to drink beverages in the sparkling, juice, water, sport, energy, tea and coffee categories. Coca‑Cola HBC is committed to promoting sustainable development in order to create value for its business and for society. This includes providing products that meet the beverage needs of consumers, fostering an open and inclusive work environment, conducting its business in ways that protect and preserve the environment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the local communities. Coca‑Cola HBC is ranked beverage industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe Indices, and is also included in the FTSE4Good Index.

Coca‑Cola HBC has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: CCH) and its shares are listed on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX: EEE). For more information, please visit http://www.coca-colahellenic.com/         

About Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

The DJSI were launched in 1999 as the first global sustainability benchmarks. The indices are offered cooperatively by RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices. The group tracks the stock performance of the world's leading companies in terms of economic, environmental and social criteria. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios, and provide an effective engagement platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable best practices. Following an evaluation of a range of general and industry-specific issues only the top 10% are accepted for inclusion. For more information visit http://www.sustainability-indices.com/