Coca‑Cola HBC AG announces new sustainability targets

Coca‑Cola HBC, a leading bottler of the brands of The Coca‑Cola Company, has announced new water and carbon commitments after being named by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) as the world sustainability leader in the beverage industry.

Coca‑Cola HBC has announced that it intends to reduce water use intensity by 30% by 2020, compared to 2010 and direct carbon emissions intensity by 50% over the same period.

The company’s approach to sustainability was endorsed in September when Coca‑Cola HBC was named beverage industry leader in the Dow Jones World and Europe Sustainability Indices for the second consecutive year. This is the eight year when Coca‑Cola HBC AG was included in Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Examples of Coca‑Cola HBC projects in Romania

In all the countries in which it operates, Coca‑Cola HBC AG invests and constantly gets involved in developing sustainable solutions, as a response to global challenges. In Romania, the most recent initiatives in this field are:

• Introducing, in 2014, a new innovative packaging on the Romanian market, made from up to 30% plant-based material. Using PlantBottleTM technology, the new packaging is used in the 500 ml recipients for Dorna and Dorna Izvorul Alb.

• Coca‑Cola HBC Romania has a Gold medal by European Water Stewardship for all its bottling plants – a reference achievement for all Romanian companies who want to reduce to minimum their impact on the environment. Some of the most recent innovations developed by the company, which led to this recognition, include: the use of „ionised air technology” for PET rinsing or the construction of the co-generation station in Ploiesti plant, reducing CO2 emissions by 50%. 

Coca‑Cola HBC was also ranked eighth out of the top 100 companies listed on the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE 100) Index for its carbon reporting by Carbon Clear — and ranked first within the beverage sector. Of the 2,500 companies across different industries, invited to participate in the DJSI assessment worldwide, Coca‑Cola HBC AG ranked beverage industry best with a total score of 87/100. This was 34 points higher than the industry average. The Group was ranked industry best in eight criteria: code of business conduct / compliance / anti-corruption, environmental policy, packaging, raw materials sourcing, human capital development, health & nutrition, social reporting and talent attraction & retention.

Annual highlights of Coca‑Cola HBC Group’s 2014 integrated report include:

• An ‘A’ rating by CDP, formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project

• 7.8 % direct and indirect carbon emissions reduction (Scope 1, 2 and 3)

• €4.3m invested in energy efficiency projects

• 4.3% improvement in energy intensity

• €5.8m invested in water saving projects, saving 1.1million m3 water

• 4.1% improvement in water intensity

• 82% Sustainable Employee Engagement Index