Governance & Ethics

At The Coca-Cola Company, we aim to lead by example and to learn from experience. We set high standards for our people at all levels and strive to consistently meet them.

We are guided by our established standards of corporate governance and ethics. We review our systems to ensure we achieve international best practices in terms of transparency and accountability. The foundation of our approach to corporate governance is laid out in our Corporate Governance Guidelines and in the charters of our Board of Directors’ committees.

Corporate Responsibility
Corporate responsibility is managed through the Public Policy and Corporate Reputation Council, a cross-functional group of senior managers from our Company and bottling partners. The Council identifies risks and opportunities faced by our business and communities and recommends strategies to address these challenges.

Ethics & Compliance
The core of the ethics and compliance program at The Coca-Cola Company is our Code of Business Conduct. The Code guides our business conduct, requiring honesty and integrity in all matters. All of our associates and directors are required to read and understand the Code and follow its precepts in the workplace and larger community.

The Code is administered by our Ethics & Compliance Committee. This cross-functional senior management team oversees all our ethics and compliance programs and determines Code violations and discipline. Our Ethics & Compliance Office has operational responsibility for education, consultation, monitoring and assessment related to the Code of Business Conduct and compliance issues. Associates worldwide receive a variety of ethics and compliance training courses administered by the Ethics & Compliance Office. We regularly monitor and audit our business to ensure compliance with the Code and the law. We also maintain a consistent set of best-in-class standards around the world that govern how we investigate and handle Code issues. In 2008, we revised the Code to further improve its effectiveness.

More than 20,000 associates completed more than 30,000 in-person and web-based Ethics and Compliance training sessions from August 2007 through June 2008. All associates will receive in-person Code of Business Conduct training in 2008. We trained associates on the Code of Business Conduct, European Union competition law, Latin American competition law, financial integrity, intellectual property and competitive intelligence, drug-free workplace and preventing workplace violence.

In 2006, we rolled out an updated global anti-bribery compliance program with supporting policies, training and audits. In addition, we expanded our compliance program around United States trade sanctions with supporting policies, training and audits.

Our associates, bottling partners, suppliers, customers and consumers can ask questions about our Code and other ethics and compliance issues, or report potential violations, through EthicsLine, a global Web and telephone information and reporting service. Telephone calls are toll-free, and EthicsLine is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with translators available.