Executive Summary
The Coca-Cola Company is one of the world’s largest beverage companies, with currently over 500 still and sparkling brands. It has international recognition with above 700,000 business associates worldwide, making it one of the top 10 employers in the world. Since its operations are of a very large scale, and it is a huge part of the worldwide community, it is faced with numerous responsibilities and duties. The Sustainability report identifies what the company had tried to aim during the year 2013-2014 in terms of economic, social and environmental perspectives and what it has achieved in those terms as well.
Coca-Cola has established for itself different areas of commitments towards which it will work for the next few operational years. It has widely divided its aims into “Me”, “We” and “world”, where “Me” focuses on enhancing an individual’s well-being in terms of exercise and nutrition. “We” Focuses on Charitable institutions and women and human rights, whereas world focuses on protecting the environment and reducing the company’s carbon footprint in terms of water, packaging and sustainable agriculture (The Coca-Cola Company).
The company has taken steps to ensure that it meets its future-oriented goals regarding organizational sustainability in all of the areas mentioned above. For example, the company has started supporting more than 290 physical programs across the world. Where it has contributed about $23 Million to such initiatives, making a 47 % increase in the funding as compared to 2012. Also, in the independent report published by International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) surveyed and revealed the same results regarding such TV and print and internet advertisements.
Coca-Cola also stresses on providing as many resources to its consumers and community as possible.
Women are an integral part of our society, and Coca-Cola recognizes their importance and role in the advancement of the communities across the world. It has strived to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to women and made it possible for above 550,000 women since 2010 to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
The company has also always tried to promote and protect its environment and has engaged in recycling efforts. In the 2014 FIF world cup, it managed to partner with FIFA and managed to recycle almost 450 tons of solid waste. In 2013, it celebrated installing its 1 millionth HFC-free cooler. It further reduced its carbon footprint by creating a 20% improvement its energy consumption efficiency.
According to the reporting principles and standard disclosures, as set by the Global Reporting Initiative, the Coca-Cola Company has managed to stay on track with mostly all of its aims and projects (Global Reporting Initiative). The company might’ve provided a full and complete report if it had managed to meet the G4-23 Standard Disclosure, which specified that the sustainability report, must provide data for significant changes from previous reporting periods, in terms of aspect and scope boundaries. Other than that it has achieved stake hold engagement by involving the community and partners in various beneficial activities for the community as well as the business; it has complied with the ethics and integrity policies, and has disclosed as much information as necessary for the viability of its sustainability report. In the following year, the company should proceed in the same direction with the same efficiency as was in this year; however, it should take note to provide more detailed reports about progress as compared to previous operational years of the company.
Bibliography
Global Reporting Initiative. (n.d.). G4 Sustainabilty Reporting Guidelines. Retrieved JUly 27, 2015, from Global Reporting Initiative: https://www.globalreporting.org/resourcelibrary/GRIG4-Part1-Reporting-Principles-and-Standard-Disclosures.pdf
The Coca-Cola Company. (n.d.). Coca Cola 2013/2014 Sustainability Report. Retrieved July 27, 2015, from Coca Cola Company: http://assets.coca-colacompany.com/77/4c/2a44a5234a3ca65d449d174a0ded/2013-2014-coca-cola-sustainability-report-pdf.pdf
