Water, Packaging & Emission Goals: Coca-Cola's 2035 Vision

The Coca-Cola Company, a gigantic player in the global beverage industry, is taking significant strides in sustainability.

With more than 200 brands under its umbrella, including global favourites like Coca-Cola, Sprite and Costa Coffee, the company operates in more than 200 countries. Its sprawling influence not only spans global markets but also encompasses a workforce of over 700,000 through its partnership with bottling affiliates, opening avenues for vast economic opportunities intertwined with its evolving environmental strategies.

The company has updated its environmental goals to highlight Coca-Cola's dedication to "refreshing the world and making a difference," a motto that now extends its sustainability ambition to 2035.

Coca-Cola's involvement in environmental stewardship is long-standing, with notable efforts including sugar reduction, enhanced recyclability of packaging, and water replenishment. These initiatives reflect its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint while continuing to deliver economic and social value.

Bea Perez, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer, at Coca-Cola explains: “We remain committed to building long-term business resilience and earning our social licence to operate through our evolved voluntary environmental goals.”

Prioritising water security in at-risk areas

At the heart of Coca-Cola’s environmental agenda is the management of its most crucial resource: water.

The company has proudly met its objective to replenish 100% of the water used in its finished products back to nature and communities since 2015.

The renewed focus now hones in on 200 high-risk areas globally, ensuring that every drop of water used is returned. These areas, making up about a third of Coca-Cola’s operational footprint, undergo rigorous analysis updates, including one recently concluded in 2024, with reassessments planned every five years.

In these locations, Coca-Cola not only aims to replenish water but also enhance water use efficiency and improve local water treatment processes. This effort ensures water returned to communities is safe, bolstering the company’s contribution towards local and global water security.

Reducing packaging waste

Coca-Cola is also revamping its approach to packaging.

By 2035, the company is determined to increase the recycled material content in its primary packaging to between 35% and 40%. It targets a collection rate of 70% to 75% for the bottles and cans it releases into the market each year.

Recognising the importance of circular economic approaches, Coca-Cola has already designed more than 95% of its packaging to be recyclable.

The company is also focusing on light-weighting techniques which reduce material use per package, decreasing reliance on virgin plastics and helping lower overall emissions. Coca-Cola is investing in refillable packaging options in regions where such systems are in place, collaborating broadly with government bodies, industry partners, and non-governmental organisations to amplify impact.

Tackling emission reduction

Coca-Cola is ambitious about aligning its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions reduction pathways with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, using 2019 as a baseline.

This includes direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the company, and those from its extensive supply chain. Achieving these targets involves a shift to renewable energy solutions, adoption of innovative technologies, and enhanced collaboration with its partners.

Its proactive steps in water management and packaging are integral to its broader strategy to mitigate climate change impacts, underscoring the interconnections within its sustainability goals.

Remaining transparent in Scope 3 reporting

While Coca-Cola has decided not to set new agriculture-specific objectives presently, its commitment to sustainable sourcing remains unwavering. The company aims to facilitate better water conservation measures, forest conservation, and protection of biodiversity within its supply chains, thereby ensuring the well-being of agricultural suppliers.

With plans to maintain annual reporting on these crucial sustainability metrics, Coca-Cola stays true to its promise of transparency and adaptability.

Bea encapsulates the company’s forward-looking perspective: “We know we will have more chapters in our journey and that we can’t do it alone.

"Continued collaboration, targeted investments, and well-designed policies are crucial to help create shared value for all.”

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