Coca-Cola, WWF Advance Sustainability Partnership

ATLANTAThe Coca-Cola Company and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) expanded their partnership by adding new global environmental goals and working to advance the Coca-Cola systems sustainability stewardship.

These goals focus on the sustainable management of water, energy and packaging use, as well as sustainable sourcing of agricultural ingredients through 2020.

Coca-Cola and WWF agreed to extend their efforts by meeting  new conservation and performance targets, promoting the integration of natures value into decision-making processes and convening influential partners to help solve global environmental challenges.

As we face a resource-stressed world with growing global demands on food and water, we must seek solutions that drive mutual benefit for business, communities and nature," said Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer at The Coca-Cola Company. "Working with WWF will continue to challenge our company to advance our sustainability programs, and WWFs expertise will be instrumental in reaching our environmental performance goals, some of which they help us set."

Carter Roberts, WWF CEO and president, said there are currently "unprecedented demands" on natural resources around the world.

"Continuing with business as usual puts everything at risk, including the viability of business," Roberts said. These problems can only be solved by working together, and our work with Coca-Cola has proven that collaboration can amplify and accelerate the impact we need."

Under the renewed and expanded partnership, Coca-Cola and WWF developed new 2020 environmental sustainability goals for the Coca-Cola system, which includes the company and its nearly 300 bottling partners in more than 200 countries. These goals include improving water efficiency by 25%, ensuring healthy and resilient freshwater systems, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25%, responsibly sourcing material for PlantBottle packaging and sustainably sourcing key agricultural ingredients. In addition, the companies hope to replenish 100% of water used and reach a 75% recovery rate of bottle and cans in developed markets.

Coca-Cola has also agreed to develop PEF (polyethylene furanoate) bottles and ideally bring 100% bio-based PEF bottles to the market by 2016.