A Message from our Chairman and CEO
For Coca-Cola Enterprises, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) is where our business touches the world and where the world touches our business.
In the past year, we have made significant progress in our five strategic CRS focus areas— energy conservation/climate change, water stewardship, sustainable packaging/recycling, product portfolio/well-being, and diverse and inclusive culture. Our CRS efforts are capturing operational efficiencies, driving innovation and effectiveness, and eliminating waste, while simultaneously protecting the environment.
Despite the challenging economic conditions of 2008, our commitment to CRS has never been stronger. We have been recognized as a CRS leader in the global Coca-Cola system and are working toward leading the beverage industry in CRS. We are proud of the progress we’ve made so far, and 2008 represented another big step on our journey. We have evolved from setting aspirational goals in each of our focus areas to establishing aggressive, measurable goals with metrics and targets. We are working to achieve these goals by the year 2020 – an effort we are calling Commitment 2020.
Here are some of our accomplishments for 2008:
- Remaining one of the most efficient water users in the Coca-Cola system
- Expanding our hybrid truck fleet in both Europe and North America and establishing the largest fleet of heavy-duty hybrids in North America
- Broadening our portfolio of offerings, adding smaller package sizes and more options from new enhanced waters to juices
- Continuing our support of the United Nations Global Compact by endorsing the CEO Water Mandate, which recognizes the impact companies have on the world’s water supply and the importance of being responsible stewards of our finite resource
- Calculating our carbon footprint – one of our most significant accomplishments to date
- Increasing opportunities to recycle in the marketplace through Coca-Cola Recycling
- Working with the beverage industry to reduce beverage calories in U.S. schools by 58 percent
In 2008, we calculated the carbon footprint of our operations in each country where we do business, as well as for the company overall. We also calculated the first-ever certified carbon footprint of a sparkling beverage in Great Britain and of Dasani water in the United States, with the help of the Carbon Trust.
The information we gained during this calculation process will enable us to reach our Commitment 2020 energy conservation goal. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by 15 percent by 2020, as compared to our 2007 baseline.
Our CRS Committee of the Board of Directors is monitoring our progress, and our Global CRS Advisory Council sets priorities and policies. The Council includes senior managers from key functions across the company. In early 2009, we convened an Environmental Summit, bringing together our top leadership, our CRS Board Committee and external sustainability experts. Together we established Commitment 2020.
Working closely with all of our stakeholders – from non-governmental organizations to employees – is essential to our progress. I encourage you to share your feedback on this report and help us identify ways to strengthen our efforts by sending an email to crs@cokecce.com.
Sincerely,
John F. Brock
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.