Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has published its first ever Stakeholder Progress Report, highlighting the improvements the group has made in relation to sustainability, from governance and people programmes, to drinks, packaging, water, climate, and communities.
CCEP CEO Damian Gammell said that when he first entered his position he "wanted to grow the company in a way that fulfilled its potential while respecting its heritage".
"Our stakeholders - both inside and outside the business - want us to fundamentally be a good business, but to more meaningfully influence some of the biggest issues facing society today," he added.
The company aims to become an industry leader with regards to packaging, reducing the amount sugar and calories in beverages, and the impact it has on local communities. It intends to publish its new sustainability plan later this year to set future goals.
Sustainability Progress
The report highlights that the company has reduced the amount calories across the its portfolio by 7.9%, so that 35% of the volume of products now have low or no calories.
CCEP has also reduced its carbon footprint by 42.6% since 2010, and continued to ensure that all of its packaging is recyclable. In 2016, 21% of its PET plastic was recycled.
In terms of community projects, the company has donated approximately €6.6 million to local groups, and employees have spent around 10,000 hours volunteering for local causes.
"Continued progress requires leadership, dedication and collaboration and all credit rests with the passion and commitment of our employees and the great partnerships that we have developed with suppliers, customers, local communities, NGOs and stakeholders," said Gammell.
"There’s still considerable work to be done and I am excited about what we can achieve. I look forward to sharing more on our new sustainability plan once it’s released later this year."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
