- Sustainability Strategy and Goals
- Progress vs. Target Tracker
- Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies
- Measurable Impacts
- Challenges and Areas for Improvement
- Future Plans and Long-Term Goals
- Comparisons to Industry Competitors
- Global Consumer Goods ESG Benchmarks
- What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators
The Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage company, operating in more than 200 countries and territories with a system that includes approximately 900 bottling partners and revenues of USD 47.1 billion in 2024. Its sustainability framework, anchored by the tagline Beverage for Life, Planet for People, is organized across three focus areas: water security, packaging circularity, and climate and emissions. The 2025 Sustainability Update (January 2026) and the 2024 Environmental Update (August 2025) are the primary disclosure documents, covering FY2024 performance data, revised 2035 goals across all three pillars, and first-time disclosures on system-wide renewable electricity. The Coca-Cola system replenished 163% of the water used in its finished beverages in 2024, achieved 28% renewable electricity system-wide, and reported 99% recyclability for primary consumer packaging, a significant jump from 90% in 2022 and 2023.
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/sustainability
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://sustainability.att.com/progress/corporate-responsibility-kpis
Sustainability Strategy and Goals
Coca-Cola’s sustainability strategy is structured around a franchise system in which The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) sets standards and owns the brands, while approximately 900 bottling partners own and operate manufacturing plants. This structural split means Coca-Cola’s most material sustainability impacts, including water use, packaging waste, and manufacturing GHG emissions, occur predominantly within the bottling system rather than in TCCC’s own directly controlled operations. The strategy maps to UN SDGs including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). In January 2025, TCCC evolved its voluntary sustainability goals, extending the timeframe from 2030 to 2035 across packaging and water targets, reflecting the scale of investment and infrastructure development required to achieve systemic change at over 900 bottling plants globally.
Net Zero and Carbon Emissions
The Coca-Cola Company targets to cut its carbon emissions in line with a 1.5°C trajectory by 2035, based on a 2019 base year, across the full Coca-Cola system covering Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. TCCC’s own reported GHG footprint in 2024 was 5,219,088 tCO2e across all scopes, a 0.61% increase from 2023, driven by a rise in Scope 1+2 operational emissions of 18.57% vs. 2023, partially offset by Scope 3 disclosures covering three categories. The system-wide renewable electricity usage reached 28% in 2024, a 4% increase from 2023. Scope 3 downstream activities, primarily packaging waste and cold drink cooling electricity, are projected to represent approximately 69% of system-wide GHG emissions by 2030, making packaging circularity and cooler energy efficiency the two largest individual decarbonisation levers.
- 1.5°C-aligned carbon reduction target: across the full Coca-Cola system by 2035 vs. 2019 base year
- TCCC total GHG footprint (2024): 5,219,088 tCO2e across Scope 1, 2, and 3, up 0.61% vs. 2023
- TCCC Scope 1+2 operational GHG (2024): 1,348,119 tCO2e, up 18.57% vs. 2023
- TCCC Scope 3 GHG (2024): 3,870,969 tCO2e across 3 of 15 GHG Protocol categories disclosed
- System-wide renewable electricity (2024): 28%, a 4 percentage point increase vs. 2023
- Scope 3 downstream activities projected as approximately 69% of system-wide GHG by 2030, primarily packaging and cold drink cooling
- SBTi-aligned FLAG targets: TCCC and bottling partners engaging on Forest, Land, and Agriculture emissions as part of 2035 system commitment
Water Stewardship
Water is the most material sustainability issue for the Coca-Cola system, representing both a critical production input and a primary reputational risk in water-stressed regions. Since 2015, the Coca-Cola system has replenished more than 100% of the water used in its finished beverages every year, achieving 163% replenishment in 2024 compared to 148% in 2023. The system-wide water use ratio improved to 1.78 litres of water used per litre of beverage in 2024, compared to a 2015 baseline of 1.98, representing a 10% efficiency improvement. Coca-Cola’s 2035 water goal focuses on returning 100% of the total water used in each of more than 200 high-risk locations, covering approximately one-third of the system’s operational footprint.
- Water replenishment rate (2024): 163% of water used in finished beverages returned to nature and communities, vs. 148% in 2023
- Water use ratio (2024): 1.78 litres per litre of beverage, vs. 2015 baseline of 1.98 (a 10% efficiency improvement)
- 2035 water goal: 100% of total water used returned at each of 200+ high-risk locations across the Coca-Cola system
- 200+ high-risk locations: identified and assessed every five years, including a most recent evaluation in 2024; cover approximately one-third of the system’s operational footprint
- Water replenishment funding: The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) funds the majority of water replenishment work; progress against the 100%+ goal is externally assured
- Coca-Cola HBC: 96% of agricultural ingredients certified under the Principles for Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) framework in 2024, which includes water risk assessment at farm level
Regenerative Agriculture
Agriculture is the foundation of the Coca-Cola system’s ingredient supply chain, with the company relying on more than 5 million farmers globally to deliver sugar, corn sweeteners, tea, coffee, citrus, and other agricultural inputs. TCCC’s Principles for Sustainable Agriculture (PSA), introduced in 2021, set farm-level expectations across four areas: environment and ecosystems, human and workplace rights, animal health and welfare, and farm management systems. CCEP initiated a regenerative agriculture pilot with sugar beet suppliers in 2024, representing a first practical deployment of regenerative practices within the bottling system’s agricultural supply chain.
- 5+ million farmers globally supplying agricultural ingredients to the Coca-Cola system
- Principles for Sustainable Agriculture (PSA): introduced 2021; covers environment and ecosystems, human and workplace rights, animal health and welfare, and farm management systems
- Coca-Cola FEMSA: 72% of sugar by volume purchased from Bonsucro-certified suppliers by end of 2024; 61% of agricultural suppliers (including high-fructose corn syrup) hold Bonsucro, VIVE, or SRA certifications
- CCEP: regenerative agriculture pilot with sugar beet suppliers initiated in 2024
- Coca-Cola HBC: 96% of agricultural ingredients certified under TCCS PSA framework in 2024
- SBTi FLAG targets: TCCC and its bottling system engaging on Forest, Land, and Agriculture emissions, targeting deforestation-free and nature-positive agricultural supply chains
Deforestation and Biodiversity
The Coca-Cola system’s deforestation risk is concentrated in sugar cane, corn syrup, citrus, and paper and board packaging supply chains, where land conversion in Brazil, India, Southeast Asia, and West Africa represents the highest exposure. TCCC’s SBTi FLAG (Forest, Land, and Agriculture) targets commit the company to Science Based Targets for land-use emissions, covering deforestation and forest degradation in agricultural supply chains. Coca-Cola HBC actively engages its significant suppliers representing over 70% of Scope 3 emissions on GHG measurement and CDP disclosure as part of its NetZeroby40 programme.
- SBTi FLAG targets: adopted by TCCC and Coca-Cola HBC as part of the net-zero commitment; cover forest, land, and agriculture emissions including deforestation risk in sugar, citrus, and corn supply chains
- Coca-Cola HBC: actively engages suppliers representing 70%+ of Scope 3 emissions on CDP disclosure and SBT development
- Coca-Cola FEMSA: 61% of agricultural suppliers hold third-party sustainability certifications (Bonsucro, VIVE, SRA), covering responsibly sourced sugar and corn sweetener volumes
- TCCC: 21 country-level sugar supply chain studies on child labour, forced labour, and land rights published since 2013
- No formal biodiversity net positive or no-net-loss target has been published by TCCC as of the 2025 Sustainability Update; biodiversity risk is addressed through PSA and FLAG commitments
Packaging and Circular Economy
Packaging is the Coca-Cola system’s most publicly visible sustainability challenge, given the company’s position as one of the world’s largest plastic producers by volume. In 2024, 99% of Coca-Cola’s primary consumer packaging globally was recyclable, a significant jump from the stagnant 90% reported for 2022 and 2023. Recycled content in primary packaging reached 28% in 2024, with 18% recycled PET in plastic bottles. The total weight of virgin plastic used increased to 2.94 million metric tons in 2024, after declining to 2.83 million metric tons in 2023, reflecting volume growth offsetting material efficiency gains. The global packaging collection rate was 65% in 2024, and 14% of total beverage volume was served in reusable packaging.
- Primary consumer packaging recyclability (2024): 99%, up from 90% in 2022 and 2023
- Recycled content in primary packaging (2024): 28% by weight, including 18% recycled PET in plastic bottles
- Total virgin plastic used (2024): 2.94 million metric tons, up from 2.83 million metric tons in 2023
- Global packaging collection rate (2024): 65%
- Reusable packaging volume (2024): 14% of total Coca-Cola system beverage volume served in reusable packaging
- 2035 packaging targets: 35%-40% recycled material in primary packaging (plastic, glass, aluminum); 30%-35% recycled plastic; 70%-75% collection rate
- CCEP 2024: 45.9% recycled PET in plastic bottles; 75.7% collection rate for bottles and cans; 18.9% absolute GHG reduction from 2019
- New investment: USD 2.3 billion in packaging recycling and collection infrastructure globally
- CCEP: EUR 385 million planned investment in decarbonisation initiatives from 2025 to 2027, including joint investments in PET recycling plants in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing
Coca-Cola’s human rights programme is built on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the ILO core conventions, and the UN Global Compact. TCCC’s Supplier Guiding Principles (SGP) cover fundamental workplace and human rights expectations across the entire supplier base, while the PSA framework extends farm-level social requirements to agricultural supply chains. The company acknowledges that agriculture, particularly sugar, presents the highest risk of modern slavery and child labour due to limited supply chain visibility in upstream farming operations.
- TCCC Human Rights Policy: aligned with UNGPs, ILO core conventions, and UN Global Compact
- Supplier Guiding Principles (SGP): mandatory for all direct and bottling system suppliers; covers labour rights, health and safety, environment, and business ethics
- Modern Slavery Statement 2024: explicitly identifies agriculture as the highest-risk supply chain segment due to limited upstream visibility
- 21 country-level sugar supply chain studies on child labour, forced labour, and land rights published since 2013; ongoing work continuing
- Coca-Cola HBC: 96% of agricultural ingredients certified under PSA; Supplier ESG Risk Screening and Assessment Annual Review Programme covers all suppliers cross-functionally for ESG, supply risk, and financial stability
- Coca-Cola FEMSA: 61% of agricultural suppliers hold third-party sustainability certifications (Bonsucro, VIVE, SRA) by end of 2024
- CCEP Responsible Sourcing Policy: mandatory requirements for agricultural product and packaging suppliers; third-party audits and corrective action plans in place
Nutrition and Health
The Coca-Cola Company’s nutrition and health programme is governed by its 2025 Beverage Portfolio Commitments, which include expanding low- and no-sugar beverage options and transparently labelling calorie and nutrient information. The company has committed to making at least half of its global portfolio by volume low-calorie or no-calorie by 2025. Health-related product innovation is embedded in the TCCC portfolio strategy and is reported annually in the Sustainability Update.
Community and Social Impact
Coca-Cola’s social impact programmes span three dimensions: water access and community replenishment, economic empowerment through the 5by20 programme (targeting 5 million women entrepreneurs in the value chain), and digital inclusion through connectivity initiatives in underserved communities. The Coca-Cola Foundation funded the majority of water replenishment work, which returned 163% of finished-beverage water to nature and communities globally in 2024. CCEP’s This is Forward sustainability plan includes community skills development for 146,100 people since 2023, with a 2030 target of 500,000 people.
- Water replenishment (2024): 163% of finished-beverage water returned to nature and communities through Coca-Cola Foundation-funded programmes
- 5by20 programme: targeted economic empowerment of 5 million women across the Coca-Cola value chain, covering smallholder farming, distribution, and retail
- CCEP community skills development: 146,100 people supported since 2023; 2030 target of 500,000 people
- The Coca-Cola Foundation: primary vehicle for community investment in water access, climate resilience, and community development globally
Governance and Transparency
TCCC’s sustainability governance is overseen by the Board’s Sustainability and Environmental Committee, which reviews progress against all sustainability commitments annually. The 2025 Sustainability Update is the primary annual disclosure, supplemented by the 2024 Environmental Update (water, packaging, and emissions data), GRI Content Index, SASB Index, TCFD-aligned disclosure, and CDP Climate, Water, and Forests questionnaire submissions. Third-party external assurance covers water replenishment progress and selected GHG and packaging data.
- Board Sustainability and Environmental Committee: oversees all sustainability commitments with annual review
- Annual disclosures: Sustainability Update, Environmental Update, GRI Content Index, SASB Index, TCFD, CDP Climate, Water, Forests
- External assurance: water replenishment progress and selected GHG and packaging data externally assured
- SBTi: TCCC, CCEP (SBTi-validated for all scopes), and Coca-Cola HBC (SBTi and FLAG targets validated) hold independent scientific target validation
- 2025 goal evolution: packaging and water targets extended from 2030 to 2035, reflecting the pace of infrastructure development required across 900 bottling partners
Technology and Innovation
Coca-Cola’s technology and innovation sustainability investments span packaging material science (recycled PET, lightweight packaging, reusable systems), renewable energy procurement for bottling plants, AI-enabled agricultural innovation, industrial heat pumps for manufacturing decarbonisation, and joint investments in PET recycling infrastructure in three new Asia-Pacific markets. CCEP’s USD 385 million investment plan for 2025-2027 covers AI-enabled agricultural tools, industrial heat pumps, and PET recycling plants in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
- CCEP decarbonisation investment: EUR 385 million planned for 2025-2027, covering industrial heat pumps, AI-enabled agriculture, and PET recycling plants in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines
- CCEP PET recycling plants: joint investments in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines to scale closed-loop plastic recycling within the bottling system
- AI-enabled agricultural innovation: CCEP deploying AI tools to reduce input use, water consumption, and GHG intensity in sugar and other agricultural supply chains
- Industrial heat pumps: CCEP investing in high-temperature heat pump technology to replace fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing processes
- Recycled PET scaling: CCEP achieved 45.9% rPET in plastic bottles in 2024; TCCC system at 18% globally; technology investment targeting 30%-35% by 2035
- Lightweight packaging: ongoing system-wide lightweighting programme to reduce material per unit of beverage, reducing virgin plastic demand and per-unit GHG intensity
Global Partnerships and Advocacy
The Coca-Cola system participates in the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. TCCC’s water replenishment work is conducted in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and local NGO partners, with replenishment projects covering more than 200 high-risk water locations globally. The Bonsucro certification scheme, in which Coca-Cola FEMSA sources 72% of sugar by volume from certified suppliers, is the primary global standard for sustainable and deforestation-free sugarcane production.
- Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP): TCCC member; focuses on plastic waste collection and recycling infrastructure in emerging markets
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation New Plastics Economy Global Commitment: TCCC signatory
- WWF and The Nature Conservancy: water replenishment project partners across 200+ high-risk locations
- Bonsucro: 72% of Coca-Cola FEMSA’s sugar by volume from Bonsucro-certified suppliers (2024); standard covers land rights, deforestation, water use, and labour rights at farm level
- Coca-Cola HBC: actively engages suppliers representing 70%+ of Scope 3 emissions on CDP disclosure and SBT development commitments
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/sustainability
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/human-rights
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/human-rights/human-rights-governance
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.cocacolaep.com/assets/Global/Investors/2024-Annual-Report/Sustainability-Statement.pdf
https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/content/dam/cch/us/documents/oar2024/sustainability-statement-2024.pdf
Progress vs. Target Tracker
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/content/dam/cch/us/documents/oar2024/sustainability-statement-2024.pdf
Key Sustainability Innovations and Technologies
Coca-Cola’s innovation portfolio is concentrated across five programmes: closed-loop rPET recycling infrastructure, regenerative agriculture pilots, industrial heat pump deployment for manufacturing decarbonisation, renewable energy scaling at bottling plants, and the system-wide water use efficiency programme.
rPET Closed-Loop Recycling Infrastructure
Coca-Cola’s most critical packaging innovation is the scaling of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) in its plastic bottle production. CCEP achieved 45.9% rPET in its plastic bottles in 2024, while the broader Coca-Cola system reached 18% globally, with a 2035 target of 30%-35% for the full system. CCEP’s joint investments in new PET recycling plants in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, announced as part of the EUR 385 million 2025-2027 investment plan, are designed to scale closed-loop plastic recycling within the Asia-Pacific bottling system where recyclable infrastructure is least developed.
- CCEP rPET content in plastic bottles (2024): 45.9%
- TCCC system rPET in plastic bottles (2024): 18%
- 2035 system target for recycled plastic in plastic bottles: 30%-35%
- CCEP joint PET recycling plant investments: Australia, Indonesia, Philippines; part of EUR 385 million 2025-2027 decarbonisation plan
- USD 2.3 billion in new packaging recycling and collection infrastructure investments announced globally
- CCEP packaging collection rate (2024): 75.7%, against a 2030 target of 85%
Industrial Heat Pumps and Manufacturing Decarbonisation
CCEP is deploying industrial heat pump technology at its manufacturing sites to replace high-temperature fossil fuel combustion in production processes, specifically targeting the significant Scope 1 manufacturing emissions that cannot be eliminated through renewable electricity procurement alone. High-temperature heat pumps can supply process heat at temperatures up to 150°C, covering pasteurisation and other beverage manufacturing thermal requirements. The technology investment is embedded in CCEP’s EUR 385 million 2025-2027 decarbonisation plan and supports progress toward the 30% absolute GHG reduction by 2030 vs. 2019.
- Industrial heat pumps: deployed at CCEP manufacturing sites to replace fossil fuel combustion for process heat
- Heat pump application: pasteurisation and other high-temperature manufacturing processes in beverage production
- CCEP absolute GHG reduction (2025): 18.9% vs. 2019 base year; 2030 target is 30% absolute reduction
- EUR 385 million investment plan (2025-2027): industrial heat pumps are one of the primary decarbonisation technologies alongside AI-enabled agriculture and PET recycling plants
AI-Enabled Agricultural Innovation
CCEP is deploying AI tools to reduce input use, water consumption, and GHG intensity in its agricultural supply chains, beginning with sugar beet and other key ingredient categories. The AI application enables precision input management at farm level, optimising fertiliser and water application based on soil sensor data and weather modelling to reduce both per-hectare GHG emissions and water use. The sugar beet regenerative agriculture pilot initiated by CCEP in 2024 is the first practical implementation of this programme within the bottling system.
- AI-enabled agricultural tools: deployed in CCEP’s agricultural supply chains starting 2024
- Application: precision input management for fertiliser and water, reducing per-hectare GHG and water intensity
- Sugar beet regenerative agriculture pilot: initiated by CCEP in 2024 as the first practical deployment of regenerative practices in the CCEP supply chain
- Supports Coca-Cola HBC’s PSA programme: 96% of agricultural ingredients certified under TCCS PSA framework in 2024, providing data infrastructure for AI-driven precision agriculture
System-Wide Water Use Efficiency Programme
Coca-Cola’s water use efficiency programme reduced the system-wide water use ratio from 1.98 litres per litre of beverage (2015 baseline) to 1.78 litres per litre in 2024, a 10% efficiency improvement over nine years. The programme covers all system bottling plants globally and combines operational efficiency measures, wastewater treatment upgrades, and Zero Liquid Discharge deployments in water-stressed facilities. Water replenishment, funded through The Coca-Cola Foundation, returned 163% of finished-beverage water to nature and communities in 2024, the ninth consecutive year above 100%.
- Water use ratio (2024): 1.78 L/L of beverage, down from 2015 baseline of 1.98 L/L
- Water efficiency improvement since 2015: 10% reduction in water use ratio across the system
- Water replenishment (2024): 163% returned vs. 148% in 2023; ninth consecutive year above 100%
- 200+ high-risk locations: targeted for 100% water return by 2035; most recent location assessment completed in 2024
- Wastewater treatment and ZLD: deployed at high-risk and water-stressed facilities to ensure safe water return to communities
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://procurementmag.com/sustainability/coca-colas-circular-vision-water-packaging-emissions
https://www.cocacolaep.com/assets/Global/Investors/2024-Annual-Report/Sustainability-Statement.pdf
Measurable Impacts
Coca-Cola’s 2024 data reflects genuine progress in water stewardship and packaging recyclability, alongside concerning trends in virgin plastic volume growth and TCCC’s own Scope 1+2 emissions increase of 18.57%. The structural tension in Coca-Cola’s sustainability portfolio is that its most positive headline metrics, water replenishment at 163% and packaging recyclability at 99%, exist alongside a rising virgin plastic footprint and an operational GHG increase that runs counter to the 2035 1.5°C trajectory.
Carbon and GHG Emissions
TCCC’s 2024 total GHG footprint across all scopes was 5,219,088 tCO2e, a 0.61% increase from 2023. The Scope 1+2 operational increase of 18.57% is the most concerning datapoint, as it reflects a reversal of prior-year operational emissions improvement. Scope 3 emissions disclosed cover only 3 of 15 GHG Protocol categories, leaving the majority of the system-wide GHG footprint, particularly packaging waste and cold drink cooling electricity, outside the company-level reported total. System-wide renewable electricity at 28% represents the most meaningful system-level operational indicator.
- TCCC total GHG footprint (2024): 5,219,088 tCO2e, up 0.61% vs. 2023
- Scope 1+2 operational GHG (2024): 1,348,119 tCO2e, up 18.57% vs. 2023
- Scope 3 GHG (2024): 3,870,969 tCO2e across 3 of 15 GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories
- System-wide renewable electricity (2024): 28%, up 4 pp vs. 2023
- CCEP absolute GHG reduction (2025): 18.9% vs. 2019 base; on track for 2030 target of 30%
- Coca-Cola HBC Scope 3 (2024): 4,135,467 tCO2e
- Swire Coca-Cola: 17% reduction in Scope 1+2 GHG in 2024 vs. 2023; 43% of electricity from renewable sources
Water and Packaging
Coca-Cola’s water replenishment and packaging recyclability metrics represent the strongest performance area in the 2024 data. The 163% water replenishment rate is a consistent multi-year achievement, with external assurance providing independent verification. The 99% packaging recyclability figure represents a step-change from 90% in 2022-2023, supported by design changes and labelling improvements. The 65% global collection rate and 28% recycled content are the critical gap metrics requiring sustained infrastructure investment.
- Water replenishment (2024): 163% returned, externally assured, ninth consecutive year above 100%
- Water use ratio (2024): 1.78 L/L, a 10% improvement since 2015
- Packaging recyclability (2024): 99%, up from 90% in 2022 and 2023
- Recycled content in primary packaging (2024): 28% by weight globally
- Virgin plastic used (2024): 2.94 million metric tons, up from 2.83 million metric tons in 2023
- Global packaging collection rate (2024): 65%, against a 2035 target of 70%-75%
- Reusable packaging: 14% of total beverage volume served in reusable formats
Source
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/content/dam/cch/us/documents/oar2024/sustainability-statement-2024.pdf
https://www.swirecocacola.com/newsletter/en/2025-01/Environment/Sd-Report-2024.html
Challenges and Areas for Improvement
Coca-Cola’s four primary sustainability challenges are: the 18.57% Scope 1+2 operational GHG increase in 2024 running counter to its 1.5°C trajectory, the 65% collection rate falling 5-10 percentage points below the 70%-75% 2035 target, the rising virgin plastic volume at 2.94 million metric tons, and the limited Scope 3 disclosure covering only 3 of 15 GHG Protocol categories.
Operational GHG Increase and Renewable Energy Gap
TCCC’s own Scope 1+2 emissions rose 18.57% in 2024 vs. 2023, directly contradicting the company’s 1.5°C trajectory commitment. This increase is not fully explained in public disclosures and may reflect volume growth, acquired operations, or changes in energy mix at company-operated facilities. The system-wide renewable electricity at 28% remains far below the 100% needed for full Scope 2 neutrality across 900+ bottling plants. The structural complexity of driving renewable energy adoption across independently owned bottling partners in more than 200 countries makes this the most difficult operational lever in Coca-Cola’s decarbonisation toolkit.
- TCCC Scope 1+2 GHG increase (2024): 18.57% vs. 2023; no full public explanation provided
- System-wide renewable electricity (2024): 28%; full Scope 2 neutrality requires 100%
- 900+ bottling partners: independent ownership means TCCC cannot mandate energy procurement directly; influence is limited to standards-setting and investment incentives
- Scope 3 downstream activities: projected to represent approximately 69% of system GHG by 2030, primarily packaging and cold drink cooling, where TCCC has indirect influence through brand standards rather than direct operational control
Rising Virgin Plastic Volume
Coca-Cola’s total virgin plastic used increased to 2.94 million metric tons in 2024, after declining to 2.83 million metric tons in 2023, and the company faces pressure from Greenpeace, Break Free From Plastic, and the global plastics treaty negotiations to set an absolute virgin plastic reduction target with a baseline year. The 65% global collection rate means approximately 35% of bottles and cans introduced to the market in 2024 were not collected for recycling or reuse, representing a direct material leakage into the environment. Without collection rate improvement, recycled plastic targets cannot be met because insufficient post-consumer material is available for rPET production.
- Virgin plastic used (2024): 2.94 million metric tons, up from 2.83 million metric tons in 2023
- Global collection rate (2024): 65%; approximately 35% of bottles and cans not collected
- No absolute virgin plastic reduction target with a specific baseline year and end date published by TCCC
- External pressure: Greenpeace, Break Free From Plastic, and Global Plastics Treaty negotiations are driving investor and regulatory expectations for absolute reduction commitments
- CCEP significantly outperforms TCCC system average: 45.9% rPET and 75.7% collection rate in 2024 vs. 18% rPET and 65% collection rate for the broader system
Limited Scope 3 GHG Disclosure
TCCC disclosed Scope 3 GHG emissions across only 3 of 15 GHG Protocol categories in 2024, leaving the majority of the system-wide climate impact outside the company-level reported total. The most material Scope 3 categories for a beverage company, including packaging waste (Category 12), use-of-sold-products cooling (Category 11), upstream agricultural emissions (Category 1), and transportation (Categories 4 and 9), are either partially disclosed or aggregated at the bottling system level rather than the TCCC corporate level. The contrast with CCEP and Coca-Cola HBC, both of which disclose approximately 90% of Scope 3 categories, illustrates that the parent company’s disclosure depth lags behind its own most sophisticated bottling partners.
- TCCC Scope 3 disclosure (2024): 3 of 15 GHG Protocol categories
- CCEP Scope 3 disclosure: approximately 90% of Scope 3 emissions covered across reported categories, consistent with SBTi-validated target boundary
- Coca-Cola HBC Scope 3 (2024): 4,135,467 tCO2e with SBTi and FLAG validated targets covering all material categories
- Improving Scope 3 disclosure from 3 to the full set of material categories is a foundational requirement for credibly claiming the 1.5°C trajectory commitment
Source
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://procurementmag.com/sustainability/coca-colas-circular-vision-water-packaging-emissions
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://planet-tracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CTA-Coca-Cola.pdf
Future Plans and Long-Term Goals
Coca-Cola’s roadmap to 2030 and 2035 requires simultaneous execution on five fronts: scaling system-wide renewable electricity from 28% to levels consistent with the 1.5°C trajectory, closing the virgin plastic volume gap while increasing rPET to 30%-35%, improving the global collection rate from 65% to 70%-75%, deploying CCEP’s EUR 385 million technology investment plan, and reversing the 18.57% Scope 1+2 increase with sustained operational efficiency improvements.
2025 to 2030 Near-Term Milestones
Coca-Cola’s most critical near-term milestones include closing the packaging collection rate gap from 65% to 70%-75% and deploying the PET recycling plants in Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines under CCEP’s 2025-2027 investment plan. The CCEP 30% absolute GHG reduction by 2030 target, at 18.9% achieved in 2025, is on track and represents the strongest near-term climate milestone in the broader system. The EDF water collaboration identifying 28 billion gallons of water-saving potential in U.S. commercial buildings using AT&T connectivity tools provides a model for IoT-enabled water efficiency that Coca-Cola’s operational sites could replicate at scale.
- CCEP 2030 target: 30% absolute GHG reduction vs. 2019; 18.9% achieved in 2025
- CCEP 2030 collection rate target: 85%; 75.7% achieved in 2024
- CCEP PET recycling plant investments: Australia, Indonesia, Philippines under 2025-2027 plan
- TCCC 2030: scaling rPET toward the 30%-35% global target; reversing the 2024 virgin plastic volume increase
2035 Long-Term Targets
Coca-Cola’s 2035 goals cover all three sustainability pillars: water (100% return at 200+ high-risk locations), packaging (35%-40% recycled material, 70%-75% collection rate, 30%-35% recycled plastic), and emissions (1.5°C-aligned trajectory). The Coca-Cola HBC and CCEP net-zero commitments for 2040 are the most ambitious in the bottling system and will require the full deployment of industrial heat pumps, renewable electricity, and agricultural decarbonisation tools by 2040.
- 2035 water target: 100% of total water returned at each of 200+ high-risk locations
- 2035 packaging targets: 35%-40% recycled material in primary packaging; 30%-35% recycled plastic; 70%-75% collection rate
- 2035 emissions target: full Coca-Cola system on a 1.5°C-aligned trajectory vs. 2019 base
- 2040 net-zero: Coca-Cola HBC and CCEP both committed to net-zero across all Scope 1, 2, and 3 with SBTi validation
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/en/a-more-sustainable-future/netzeroby40
Comparisons to Industry Competitors
Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé are three of the world’s largest consumer goods companies with global beverage and food operations, extensive agricultural supply chains, and comparable packaging and water sustainability challenges. All three have restructured their long-range sustainability goals in 2024 or 2025 in response to the difficulty of achieving 2030 targets set during 2019-2022.
Global Consumer Goods ESG Benchmarks
PepsiCo’s 5% reduction in virgin plastic use in 2024 directly contrasts with Coca-Cola’s 3.9% increase in the same year, representing the clearest competitive divergence in packaging performance. PepsiCo’s extension of its net-zero target from 2040 to 2050 and the abandonment of several packaging reuse goals in May 2025 indicate that both companies are recalibrating toward more achievable multi-decade timelines rather than aggressive near-term commitments. Coca-Cola’s water replenishment record of nine consecutive years above 100%, with 163% in 2024 externally assured, represents the strongest single-metric sustainability credential in the global beverage sector.
Source
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.fooddive.com/news/pepsico-sustainability-goal-revamp-packaging-plastic-emissions/748973/
https://blog.gettransport.com/trends-in-logistic/soft-drinks-sustainability-showdown-coca-cola-vs-pepsico-who-leads-in-esg/
What to Watch: 12 to 18 Month Indicators
Three signals will determine whether Coca-Cola’s sustainability standing improves or deteriorates between now and late 2026. Each is directly tied to a known commitment, data gap, or structural programme risk.
TCCC Scope 1+2 Reversal Confirmation
TCCC’s 18.57% Scope 1+2 increase in 2024 is the single most damaging data point in the 2024 Environmental Update relative to its 1.5°C trajectory claim. The 2025 Environmental Update, expected in mid-2026, will confirm whether the 2024 increase was a one-year anomaly caused by an acquisition, a facility restart, or a base year recalculation, or whether it reflects a structural reversal of the prior operational efficiency trajectory. A return to a declining Scope 1+2 trend with a clear explanation for the 2024 spike would restore credibility. A second consecutive year of increase would require TCCC to publicly explain and quantify the remediation actions underway.
- TCCC Scope 1+2 GHG (2024): 1,348,119 tCO2e, up 18.57% vs. 2023; no public explanation provided
- System-wide renewable electricity (2024): 28%; trajectory must accelerate from this base
- Watch metric: 2025 Scope 1+2 figure in the 2025 Environmental Update and any explanation for the 2024 increase
Virgin Plastic Volume Reversal and Collection Rate Progress
The increase in virgin plastic to 2.94 million metric tons in 2024 runs counter to Coca-Cola’s packaging circularity ambition and is the metric most closely watched by environmental NGOs, institutional investors through CDP Water and Forests, and global plastics treaty negotiators. The 2026 Environmental Update will confirm whether CCEP’s EUR 385 million investment in PET recycling plants and the USD 2.3 billion global infrastructure investment begin translating into a declining virgin plastic trend. A return to the 2.83 million metric ton level or below would signal that capital deployment is working. Continued growth in virgin plastic volume would intensify external pressure for an absolute reduction target with a baseline year.
- Virgin plastic used (2024): 2.94 million metric tons, up 3.9% from 2023
- CCEP PET recycling plant investments: Australia, Indonesia, Philippines under 2025-2027 plan
- Global collection rate (2024): 65%; improvement toward 70%-75% by 2035 requires infrastructure and policy advances
System-Wide Renewable Electricity Acceleration
System-wide renewable electricity at 28% in 2024 is insufficient to place the Coca-Cola system on a credible 1.5°C pathway, which typically requires 80%+ renewable electricity by the early 2030s for manufacturing-intensive companies. The 4 percentage point increase in 2024 would need to more than double each year to reach the level consistent with the 2035 target. The 2026 Sustainability Update will reveal whether the system-wide renewable electricity programme, operating across 900+ independently owned bottling partners, has accelerated beyond the 4 pp annual growth rate. A figure at or above 35% would indicate an accelerating procurement trajectory.
- System-wide renewable electricity (2024): 28%, up 4 pp from 2023
- Coca-Cola HBC direct operations renewable electricity: 53% in 2024, exceeding their own 2025 target of 50%
- Swire Coca-Cola: 43% renewable electricity in 2024
- CCEP and HBC are materially ahead of the TCCC system average; replicating their renewable energy approaches across the remaining bottling partners is the structural challenge
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
Coca-Cola’s strongest structural sustainability asset is its water replenishment programme. Nine consecutive years above 100% water replenishment, with 163% in 2024 and external assurance, is a credible, multi-year, independently verified achievement that no peer in the global beverage sector has replicated at comparable geographic scale. This is a genuine leadership position, not a data artefact. The 99% packaging recyclability in 2024, up from a stagnant 90% in 2022-2023, represents a meaningful design and labelling improvement driven by real material changes in packaging composition. CCEP’s sustainability trajectory is the best in the global bottling system, with 18.9% absolute GHG reduction from 2019, 45.9% rPET in plastic bottles, 75.7% packaging collection rate, and a EUR 385 million technology investment plan covering the right decarbonisation levers: industrial heat pumps, AI-enabled agriculture, and PET recycling infrastructure.
The structural problems are significant and concentrated in two areas. First, TCCC’s own Scope 1+2 GHG rose 18.57% in 2024 with no public explanation, and Scope 3 coverage at 3 of 15 categories is inadequate for a company claiming a 1.5°C trajectory. A company cannot credibly claim science-based alignment when the majority of its own value chain emissions, packaging waste, cold drink cooling, and agricultural inputs, fall outside the disclosed Scope 3 boundary. Second, the rising virgin plastic volume at 2.94 million metric tons in 2024 directly undermines the packaging circularity agenda: recycled content targets cannot be met if collection rates do not improve and if virgin plastic demand is not structurally declining. The performance gap between CCEP (45.9% rPET, 75.7% collection rate) and the TCCC system average (18% rPET, 65% collection rate) is instructive. It shows that the recycling infrastructure investment, not the sustainability ambition, is the binding constraint.
Three strategic takeaways for practitioners benchmarking or replicating this approach:
- In a franchise system where the brand owner does not control manufacturing, the most effective sustainability lever is standards-setting with third-party verification and financial incentives: Coca-Cola’s PSA programme, which achieved 96% certified agricultural ingredient coverage at Coca-Cola HBC by 2024, demonstrates that mandatory certification combined with annual supplier review can achieve near-complete coverage of a complex, multi-tier agricultural supply chain; practitioners in franchise and licensing models should design for third-party certification requirements from day one rather than relying on self-declaration or questionnaire-based compliance
- Virgin plastic reduction requires absolute volume targets, not intensity ratio improvements, because intensity improvements are erased by volume growth: Coca-Cola’s virgin plastic use increased to 2.94 million metric tons in 2024 despite design improvements because beverage volume grew faster than material efficiency gains; practitioners setting plastic reduction commitments must specify an absolute tonnage ceiling with a defined baseline year, independently assured, to prevent intensity-based reporting from masking actual volume increases; the collection rate infrastructure investment is a necessary prerequisite for the recycled content target, not a parallel programme
- Scope 3 disclosure depth is now a prerequisite for claiming science-based climate alignment: TCCC’s 3-of-15-category Scope 3 disclosure is structurally inconsistent with a 1.5°C claim, while CCEP and Coca-Cola HBC demonstrate that full Scope 3 disclosure and SBTi validation are achievable within the same franchise system; practitioners advising consumer goods companies on climate disclosure should treat Scope 3 completeness as a binary compliance requirement rather than a disclosure quality preference, because SBTi, CSRD, and SEC climate rules all require material Scope 3 categories to be included for targets to be considered credible
Source
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/company/us/en/reports/2024-environmental-update/2024-environmental-update.pdf
https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/_assets/_2f82c261593c090acbb4202057cb7f65/cocacolacompany/db/1015/11072/file/Sustainability-Update-2025.pdf
https://tracenable.com/company/coca-cola/ghg-emissions
https://www.packagingdive.com/news/coca-cola-2024-environmental-update-packaging/760832/
https://esgpost.com/coca-cola-europacific-partners-updates-sustainability-plan-with-new-2030-targets/
https://www.coca-colahellenic.com/en/a-more-sustainable-future/netzeroby40
https://procurementmag.com/sustainability/coca-colas-circular-vision-water-packaging-emissions
https://planet-tracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CTA-Coca-Cola.pdf
