Honest CSR: Coca Cola Leads The Way

Posted on 13. Mar, 2009 by Ross in Corporate Policy

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting is seen as a major marketing weapon in the modern corporate environment, as increasing proportions of consumers demand more than just affordability and reliability from their products. Being honest and upfront about a company’s efforts is the best way to avoid accusations of greenwashing, and this week leading soft drinks company Coca Cola UK showed just how that honesty works by releasing detailed data on the carbon footprint of its main product lines.

The report, which focused on the ‘Coca Cola’, ‘Diet Coke’ and ‘Coke Zero’ brands, was produced in association with the Climate Trust, revealed that a 330ml can of ‘Coca-Cola’ sold in Great Britain has a carbon footprint of 170 grams and the same sized can of ‘diet Coke’ or ‘Coke Zero’ has a footprint of 150 grams. A 330ml glass bottle of ‘Coca-Cola’ has a footprint of 360 grams. Recycling a can of the two low-sugar brands and the footprint reduces to 85g: a majority of the carbon footprint is associated with the products’ packaging.

The stark figures would appear to be negative press for the company: there is no obvious positive story behind the data, and the figures could be a deterrent for some people from buying the brands in favour of rival products which have failed to make such information public. Indeed, the Carbon Trust has assisted other companies including Tesco, Walkers, innocent and Boots to perform product life cycle assessments, but some have been more reticent to release the data in such a raw form for fear of consumers making direct comparisons and encouraging carbon shopping budgets.

Coca Cola UK’s approach is that this information represents the starting point in authoritative CSR reporting. As well as the product life cycle assessment being a useful tool to pinpoint the best avenues of attacking the carbon footprint of the products, releasing the data is the best way of taking the public on that carbon-saving journey with the company. Making warehouses and manufacturing plants more energy efficient with measures such as energy-saving lighting is a relatively easy to make big carbon savings, but communicating those savings to the consumer in a simple and empathetical manner is much harder.

Shoppers quickly notice and appreciate cheaper financial prices at the till, and will doubtless notice and appreciate smaller carbon footprints on their favourite products too, creating a strong feel-good factor by purchasing a brand they feel is ‘making a difference’. With energy-efficiency measures now firmly in the corporate cost-cutting toolbox, directly publicised product footprints will continue to fall for the forseable future, representing a massive marketing opportunity for all.

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