Product carbon footprint

This work marks the first time that the footprint of any brand of sparkling drink has been certified by the Carbon Trust.

For Coca-Cola, diet Coke and Coke Zero we measured the carbon footprint of a 330ml can, 330ml glass bottle, 500ml plastic (PET) bottle and a two-litre plastic bottle.

For Oasis we measured the footprint of our 375ml glass bottle and 500ml plastic bottle.

The table below shows the carbon footprints of these products.

The research shows that:

• Packaging is the largest contributor to a product's carbon footprint - accounting for between 30 and 70% of the total emissions
• Using recycled materials in packaging and recycling the empty container after use can reduce the carbon footprint of a product by up to 60%.

We think this is one of the single most important - and powerful - messages we can get out to all consumers of our products.

In future we plan to roll out this footprinting methodology to more products in our portfolio. We aim to include it into our New Product Development process. We're currently looking into the best way to integrate the two processes.

Coca-Cola was one of the first companies to sign up for carbon footprinting with the Carbon Trust. As part of its ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon impact, it has made an important contribution to our work to create the product carbon footprinting standard. Coca-Cola's help in streamlining the process and sharing international insights was critical. [This] announcement is important, as it will help bring home to consumers that carbon is everywhere - in all we consume.

When we launched the idea around the carbon footprinting of products it was always our aim to have major brands, like Coca-Cola, using the process as a means to further reduce the carbon in their supply chains. We are delighted they are committed to doing just that.

Tom Delay,
Chief Executive,
The Carbon Trust

Climate change is perhaps the biggest long-term challenge our planet faces. We at Coca-Cola are determined to help reduce emissions as part of our commitment to be a responsible, sustainable business.

The overwhelming majority of experts agree that human activity is changing our climate. They warn that the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we pump into our atmosphere will have a damaging impact on our environment and way of life. And they have called for us all to reduce greenhouse gases if we want to limit this damage.

It is not easy. These gases are produced by almost everything we do - from the way food is grown and businesses operate, to every time we drive our cars, cook or watch TV at home. The Carbon Trust estimates that in the UK we produce 648 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year - an average of 11 tonnes for every man, woman and child.

A carbon footprint helps us gauge the impact we are having on our environment. It measures the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by different activities. Every business and individual has their own footprint. If we know the size of our footprint and what this comprises, it is easier for each of us to decide how to change the way we do things to reduce it.

We have measured our products' carbon footprint in partnership with the Carbon Trust, an independent body set up by the Government to help organisations in the fight against climate change. You can find out more about the Carbon Trust by clicking on www.carbon-label.com.

Along with other key industry bodies, we have been working with the Carbon Trust since 2007 to see how the method they use can be accurately applied to soft drinks. We wanted to be sure, for example, their calculations include the time our drinks could be stored in a cooler and the recycled material we use in our packaging. Our work has been focused on Great Britain, but we have shared the information across our operations worldwide to help shape their journey towards sustainable energy stewardship.

Each product carbon footprint was calculated by:
Identifying the key stages in the full lifecycle of the selected drinks - from growing ingredients, through production, distribution and retailing, to the disposal of the empty bottle or can.
At each stage, we measured the energy used (and calculated the associated carbon emissions) and also looked at other sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
We then added the total greenhouse gas emissions together to get the carbon footprint of the product.

It is a complicated process - taking into account a whole range of factors. The source of electricity, for example, has a major impact on the carbon footprint of a product. Products produced at a manufacturing site powered by electricity generated from nuclear power, for example, would have a much lower carbon footprint that products produced at an identical site powered by electricity generated from coal or gas.

If you have any additional questions that you would like to ask us on this or any other topic related to our business here in Great Britain, please visit www.letsgettogether.co.uk/QuestionsAnswers.