A message from the leaders of our business

The economic, environmental and social implications of business are more important than ever.  In a world where populations are growing, natural resources are stressed, communities are forced to do more with less and our consumers' expectations are rising, we understand that sustainability is core to our business continuity and how we create long-term value.

Corporate responsibility and sustainability are not optional extras to make us feel good about ourselves. Nor are they marketing ploys to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.  They are at the very heart of our business and our approach - central to everything we do and how we operate.

Sustainable growth is about making more with less.  In our last report we shared progress on our journey towards long-term sustainability as we worked to embed corporate responsibility and sustainability into the heart of our business.

We are making good progress, growing our business while achieving absolute reductions in our carbon emissions and the water we use.  We have also aligned our sustainability activities so that we can have a sharp focus on the areas where our system can make the greatest difference.

In this report we highlight some of the steps we are taking to help ensure the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are truly sustainable events.  We intend to use our sponsorship of London 2012 to make a positive difference in the UK and one that lasts long after the Games are over.

Already our involvement in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a catalyst to accelerate our efforts to become a more sustainable business here in Great Britain.  In 2011 we invested in Continuum Recycling, a joint venture recycling facility with ECO Plastics, which will more than double the amount of food-grade recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic available for use in our bottles - allowing us to meet our ambition of incorporating 25% recycled content in all our plastic bottles by the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

We have a clear vision and direction with increasingly robust systems and strategies in place to help us achieve these, but it is a long road and we know there will always be more to do.

If you have any comments or thoughts about this report we hope that you will share them with us at corporateresponsibility@coca-cola.com"

Jon Woods
COUNTRY MANAGER, Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland

MANAGING DIRECTOR. Coca-Cola Enterprises Limited