Global thinking

Converging on water

Since 2007, The Coca-Cola Company has been combining international strengths and resources in partnership with WWF to help conserve and protect freshwater resources throughout the world.

Water is vital to both WWF and The Coca-Cola Company. Beverages are our business and water is the main ingredient in every product we make. Safe water also is vital to the sustainability of the communities we serve. WWF's mission is to conserve nature and to protect natural resources - particularly freshwater ecosystems - for people and wildlife.

Together we plan to:

• Measurably conserve seven key watersheds
• Improve the efficiency of Coca-Cola water use
• Use water more efficiently in the our agricultural supply chain, beginning with sugarcane
• Decrease Coca-Cola's global carbon dioxide emissions and energy use
• Inspire a worldwide movement by uniting industries, nature organisations and others in the conservation and protection of freshwater resources around the world.

Creating wealth and economic opportunity

While poverty is a global problem, Africa is one of the hardest-hit continents. We believe we can play a part in promoting sustainable wealth creation in Africa through our unique distribution model and expertise. We can achieve this goal by using our expertise and strengths in ways that are both good for our business and the local communities we serve.

In the next three years, we will invest in the expansion of our network of Manual Distribution Centres. Our goal is to establish 1,300 to 2,000 new, independent distribution centres - creating between 5,300 and 8,400 new jobs and generating up to $520 million in fresh revenue for local economies.

We also have programs in other parts of the world to help support wealth and job creation, including:

• Helping more than 4,000 small retailers to establish their businesses through Pushcarts programs in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia and Nepal
• Micro Enterprise Development to benefit 500 low-income families - including mentoring of entrepreneurs by business leaders, access to low-interest loans and a repayment formula that builds sustainable lending for the community.
• Various emerging programs in China and the Philippines

Further information