Environmental Responsibilities of Coca Cola Company on Water
Background of Coca Cola Company
Though Coca Cola Company history dates back to the 19th century, it operations in UK are traced to the onset of the 20th century when it was first introduced. However, its environmental records were poor and considered environmental unfriendly until the onset of the 21st century. Particularly, the company sought to assimilate a new environmental outlook in the year 2003 when it policies were inclined towards restoring and maintaining the necessary environmental sanctity in the UK and other nations (Coca Cola 2009).
From the companys mission which emphasizes on the need to refresh the globe while creating high value for all stakeholders to make the necessary difference, environment takes a key central position. As a result, the company was ISO 14001 certified in the year 2007 for its facilitation of the green goals through its green teams (Coca Cola 2009). While emphasizing on the need to comply with the current environmental legislations set in the country as well as by the EU, the companys management has indicated that its key outline is to meet the holistic environmental responsibilities at all levels an therefore increase the platform of its operations.
While indicating on the crucial role of the company in addressing the demands of the society, the management points at its special reference to water and its conservation in that it forms the main constituent of the companys products. As a result, its conservation both internally and externally cannot be compromised. As a result, environmental responsibilities are considered from a wider ecological, hydrological and social consideration point of view to create the needed internal and external sustainability drive (Knight and Creighton, 2004, p. 89).
Water situation and Coca Cola related responsibilities
According to Adam, Martin and Jolle (2009, p. 42-43), the global water situation presents a paradox. Despite over 71 of the globe being constituted of water, over 40 of its inhabitants do not have access to clean and safe water for use. While the statistic may appear shocking, Adam et al (2009, p. 66) adds that in every five minutes, a child dies from preventable water complications. While the situation has indeed greatly improved, concerns have been raised over the ability of the millennium development goals to effectively address the current situation. Owing to this understanding, conservation of water has remained critical both in policy and practice of the public and corporate entities.
Water Usage Reduction
Coca Cola Company therefore considers water reduction not just part of the compliance to the law, but an obligation with far reaching obligations to various stakeholders and consumers. As indicated earlier, the company has over the years sought to involve itself in water conservation both inside and outside. Since the year 2001, the company has managed to reduce its overall water use by 21. This margin has however been considered to be far from the established target of 50 of the Companys 2000 use by the year 2020 (Coca Cola2009). By further reducing the water use, Adam et al (2009, p. 68) argue that the responsibility can be seen from two dimensions. To begin with, it reduces the overall uptake from the fresh water input which constitutes its main source. Under this consideration, there is minimum disturbance to the existing natural ecosystem and therefore creating effective natural hydrological operations. Then, it reduces the total amounts of waste water released from the company to the natural systems. Similar to the first consideration, reduced waste water effluents into the natural system further reduces the overall pollution that can result from such effluents (Sunil 2007, p. 52).
While the saying that indicates water is life is indeed true as Dora, Annandale and Phillimore (2006, p. 41) explain, water reduction strategies in the company should be made to cohere with the organizations profitability. It is particularly critical that the company hasten its maximum possible water use reduction to facilitate compliance with the EU Council Directive on ground water use and pollution prevention directive 9661EC which calls for integrated mechanism to address the problem of pollution (European Commission 2010).
Water Treatment and Purification
In her view, Ellion (2006, p. 54) indicates that companies management should seek to understand the implications of their operations to both the social and ecological spheres of the environment and therefore set their responsibilities from that point of view. At this point, poorly treated waste water from a company is considered to have very harmful effects to the ecosystems. European Commission (2010) emphasizes this consideration in its directives on regulations that set water quality standards and objectives for different uses and those that further limit discharge of substances that are harmful to smooth operations of the ecosystem. European Commission (2010) indicate that directive 76464EEC requires establishment of the substances contained in different effluents to be established and mechanisms to reduce them to lower harmless levels employed.
According to European Commission (2010), Action Line 2 priority requires that companies in the region to employ high technology that facilitates greater efficiency in reducing the overall toxicity in their wastewater. The managements of the companies are therefore required to articulate integrated management mechanisms that view treatment from a wider perspective.
Coca Cola Companys key responsibility under this consideration is reducing the overall harmful wastewater components and associated effects to the environment. Consequently, the companys six bottling companies have a well established water treatment mechanism that not only treat the waste water, but facilitates its recovery for reuse in production. In Coca Cola Companys largest bottling plant at Wakefield, the new Severn Trent and Norit treatment facility has increased its treatment capacity with about 30 (Adam et al, 2009, p. 59-60). The water treatment facility with an ultra filtration system has been indicated by the management as a pointer to the special attachment that the company has to the natural environment which it entirely depends on for its operations.
By effectively treating its waste water, Coca cola Company responsibilities could be further categorized as follows. To begin with, it facilitates an effective coexistence of the natural and manmade environment in the region. While development has been considered by many to be at crossroads with natural resources sustainability, treatment of waste water at Coca Cola seeks to maintain sustainability of the natural system (Coca Cola 2010). Besides reducing possible poisoning effects of aqua-biota, this treatment further creates the correct water standards for human use. Many people and industrial processes that are entirely dependent on the natural waters for their daily activities require water that is clean and safe.
Water Resilience Facilitation
The notion of sustainability cannot be complete without emphasizing on water resilience to the natural system. Manmade water users, especially large consumers such as industries, should seek to facilitate effective return of the same water to the natural system. Dora et al (2006, pp. 85-86) explain that due to the fact that the larger portion of the consumed water goes to form part of the final products such as beverages while the rest becomes waste water, companies should involve themselves in alternative projects that return the same amount of water to the natural system. Water UK (2010) indicates that sustainability must form part of the companies management at the local level. Water Information Systems for Europe (2010) points out that EU companies must create a link between their water use capacity and resilience mechanisms at different levels. Under this consideration, the companies are required to assimilate environmental management systems which demands great caution and care at all levels of water usage.
Coca Cola Company has therefore taken the responsibility to generate the need link with local communities in facilitating the completeness of the hydrological cycle. In the year 2008, Coca Cola (2009) indicates that a charity to plant between Coca Cola Company and World Wildlife Fund was established to raise money for planting trees. Though water catchment conservation projects were not taking place in the UK, water responsibilities cannot be separated by administrative boundaries. In his view, Sunil (2007, p. 59) argues that the approach towards accomplishing this responsibility is bound to have greater impact in that it incorporates other local projects that equally uptake or interfere with the normal hydrological cycle.
According to Coca Cola (2009), through the companys corporate social responsibility, Eco-school projects are often funded to plant trees either in particular schools or in environmentally sensitive areas such as protected forests. The role of incorporating younger people into the water and nature conservation as Ellion (2006, p. 71) indicates, generates the needed long term focus on sustainability. However, it requires to be stepped up to create even a bigger impact to the environment.
Cooperation with Other Stakeholders in Key Projects
Environmental sustainability as Water UK (2010) indicates remains a highly integrative aspect that cannot be realized without greater cooperation for the different stakeholders. While this consideration has often been considered to be hard due to the divergent views that emanate from their variant missions, environment cannot be considered in isolation if the strategies assimilated are expected to succeed. In water management, the dynamism presented by the hydrological cycle cannot be addressed in isolation. European Commission (2010) emphasizes on the need to ensure equality of sustainable living in the Europes cities by creating the needed cooperation between key corporate stakeholders. Under this consideration, the EU has established the European Sustainable Cities which seeks localization of agenda 21in their management.
Coca cola under this consideration is expected to link with other stakeholders in creating a common destiny in the local towns it operates in. In its previously described water reduction strategy, other companies with similar strategies have joined up in creating a stronger force towards the same strategy. Envirowise (2009) points out that it would be counterproductive in seeking to address a given problem if other stakeholders are busy undoing the same. Envirowise (2009) further reports that Coca Cola Company and other major food companies signed an agreement to improve their efficiency in water consumption from the year 2007. This reduction was in return expected to save over 140 million litres daily. Though on a voluntary basis, the participating companies would save over 60 million per every year in their water bills (Coca Cola 2009). Other cooperation such as between the WWF and Coca Cola tree planting Olympic initiative equally drew the criticality of cooperation between stakeholders in water management.
As Water Information Systems for Europe (2010) indicates, the cooperation between the company and others especially in the same field of specialization has been obscured by competition in the market. Therefore, it is critical that new areas and projects of cooperation are identified at different levels to facilitate better management of the critical aqua resources.
Awareness Creation and Contribution Towards Water Management
While the demand to address the water problem as Knight and Creighton (2004, p. 102-103). argues is expected to continue intensifying in the near future, corporate entities are changed with steering the key understanding of the need for water and other resources conservation and management in the society. In its definition of the term environment, Ellion (2006, pp. 85-86) indicates that the immediate stakeholders are very crucial in addressing the resources being considered. Creation of awareness and participation in water management is evidenced by Coca Cola Companys role in the green Danube project (Coca Cola 2010). Through this cooperation, the company is able to impact maximally to more than eighty million people in the eighteen countries that sit in the river basin. Either through non-governmental organizations, respective countries governments, research institutions and private scholars, it has been possible to pass the crucial message of sustainability to them. However, new projects that draw other stakeholders in UK and the European Union should be identified to create holistic identity of all.
Conclusion
It is from the above analysis that this paper concludes by supporting the thesis statement, effective water management forms one of the key pillars to achievement of environmental sustainability by facilitating access and easier resilience to the hydrological cycle for effective functioning of ecosystems. Water came out to be a critical component in the operations of the Coca Cola Company at all stages. The companys responsibilities in facilitating holistic sustainability therefore cut across its internal orientation as well as external operations with other stakeholders in areas related to water management. Notably, as legislative frameworks for both UK and EU point out, responsibilities of the companies in relation to the water operations must be cantered on the long demand to infer higher level sustainability. Through the companys responsibilities related to water consideration are in tandem with sustainability demands of the current legal framework, there is need to hasten the water reduction strategies and cooperation with other stakeholders at the national and international front.
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