Meet Our Partners

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries, and supported by nearly five million members globally. Striving to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, WWF’s mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. By 2020, WWF seeks to conserve 15 of the world’s most ecologically important regions by working in partnership to:

• Protect and restore species and their habitats
• Strengthen local communities' ability to conserve the natural resources they depend upon
• Transform markets and policies to reduce the impact of the production and consumption of commodities
• Mobilize hundreds of millions of people to support conservation

From protecting endangered species and empowering people to conserve natural resources to collaborating with government agencies, WWF works at all levels to protect the future of nature. While freshwater ecosystems are a top priority in WWF’s work, the breadth and depth of their work affects all aspects of nature.

Realizing the strategic value of collaboration, our Company announced a transformational partnership with WWF on June 5, 2007 to work toward conserving and protecting freshwater resources around the world. Over the years, our partnership has blossomed. By working together toward a common goal and combining our international strengths and resources, we believe we can do great things and continue to advance freshwater conservation throughout the world.

Our partnership with Coca-Cola builds on measurable targets that make this work real. As two great global brands we’re working across 40 countries on an array of issues from climate change to water. We’re targeting some of the most iconic watersheds in the world, and we’re not just advancing conservation or improving a business model—we’re making a difference in the lives of local people and communities.

– Carter Roberts, President and CEO, World Wildlife Fund

We are working with WWF to:

• Measurably conserve seven of the world’s most important freshwater basins
• Improve water efficiency within our operations
• Reduce our carbon emissions and energy use
• Promote sustainable agriculture in our supply chain
• Inspire a global movement to conserve water

We are particularly focused on the following basins:

• Mekong River
• Rio Grande/Rio Bravo
• Southeastern US rivers and streams
• Mesoamerican Reef catchments
• Lake Niassa
• Danube River
• Yangtze River

We provide detail about these projects in the Water Stewardship section of this Sustainability Report.

To highlight the great milestones accomplished by our partnership with WWF, view the video we developed with WWF.

And for even more information, see our Partnership 2010 Annual Review (PDF) or visit our Company’s website and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

To learn more about WWF, please visit their website.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network, reaching 150 million people each year through its 186 member National Societies. Working together, IFRC acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. The IFRC’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. And they do so with impartiality as to nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class and political opinions.

Through disaster-response tools such as Emergency Response Units, logistics warehouses and the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund, the IFRC and its Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies work to save more lives in the immediate aftermath of all types of criseis. From tackling food insecurity to controlling deadly disease outbreaks to launching much-needed recovery programs following tsunamis and earthquakes, the IFRC is equipped to handle the most devastating of situations.

Our Company and bottling partners around the world have had the privilege of working with IFRC chapters to provide disaster relief and other humanitarian services to communities in more than 50 countries since 1917. For crises close to home and abroad, we always look to lend a hand where we can.

Earthquake relief in Japan

After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the tsunami that followed, we knew we had to join forces with IFRC to provide relief. Because Japan has more vending machines than any other country in the world, we installed special Coca-Cola vending machines that make it easier for the public to support earthquake victims in the hardest-hit areas of the country. Red “charity buttons” on the units (designed by Tone Coca-Cola Bottling Company in collaboration with the Japanese Red Cross Society) provide consumers the option of donating either 10 yen or 100 yen (approximately $0.12 or $1.23) to the charity while purchasing their favorite beverage. All donations made through September 2011 supported victims of the Japan earthquake; contributions made after that will support the Japan Red Cross general disaster relief operation fund.

As of July 2011, the Coca-Cola system has pledged $33 million to the ongoing relief and recovery efforts in Japan.

Flood relief in the United States

In 2011, tornadoes and floods took a devastating toll on the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola system awarded grants totaling $600,000 to the affected areas to assist with emergency relief efforts. One particularly hard-hit place was Joplin, Missouri, which was devastated after a tornado touched down in May. Within 24 hours, Coca-Cola Refreshments and independent bottlers began providing beverages and assisting with relief efforts—from removing debris from local parks and homes to moving appliances from houses and patching roofs. In addition, the Coca-Cola system donated more than 8,000 cases of Dasani®bottled water and sparkling beverages throughout the afflicted and surrounding areas.

“Our partnership with The Coca-Cola Company has the potential to become one of the world’s leading business and civil-society collaborations. It will enable us to extend our reach even farther in communities worldwide so we can be of greater service to vulnerable people. In this era of increasing natural disasters, imagine the magnitude of what we can accomplish together in disaster response and preparedness.” Bekele Geleta, Secretary General, IFRC.

To learn more about the IFRC, please visit their website.

USAID is the principal U.S. federal agency providing development and humanitarian assistance to over 100 countries around the world. USAID uses public-private partnerships (known as Global Development Alliances) to leverage the resources, expertise and creativity of the private sector as well as nongovernmental organizations to tackle development challenges worldwide. Since the GDA mechanism was launched in 2001, the agency has engaged in more than 1,000 public-private alliances with over 3,000 individual partners, allowing USAID to leverage billions of dollars in private funds, and access extensive private-sector expertise to promote market-led development in developing countries. The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee recently recognized the United States as a leader in public-private partnerships for development.

In 2005, The Coca-Cola Company and USAID launched the Water and Development Alliance (WADA)—a unique partnership to address community water needs in developing countries around the world. In conjunction with local USAID Missions and Coca-Cola system partners (foundations and bottling facilities), and with support from the Global Environment and Technology Foundation (GETF), WADA contributes to protecting and improving the sustainability of watersheds, increasing access to water supply and sanitation services for the world's poor, and enhancing productive uses of water. With a combined investment of over $30 million since 2005, the partnership is having a positive impact on the lives of people and the health of ecosystems in 23 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, providing clean drinking water to over 500,000 people, ensuring access to basic sanitation to over 55,000 people, and protecting more than 400,000 hectares of critical watersheds.

Our Objectives

• Establish participatory, sustainable water and watershed resources management to benefit people and ecosystems
• Increase access to community water supply and sanitation services
• Foster improved behaviors in sanitation and hygiene for positive health impacts
• Promote efficient and sustainable productive use of water to protect the environment and provide economic benefits to communities

To learn more about our partnership with USAID, read this PDF or visit our Company’s website.