Beverage giant Coca-Cola is setting up a new division in North America to oversee the company’s global sustainability vision, strategies, and goals for 2020.
“Company veteran” Beatriz Perez has been appointed chief sustainability officer (CSO) to head the new team at the company’s global office of sustainability.
“A dedicated CSO and an office of sustainability will help our company advance our sustainability agenda further, faster and more strategically,” Lisa Manley, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola told BeverageDaily.com
She said the division will aim to integrate Coca-Cola’s established initiatives in the areas of water, climate protection, packaging and recycling, and community.
Sustainability officer
Perez is currently chief marketing officer for Coca-Cola North America and will start her new role on 1 July.
According to Manley, Bea was appointed to the position due to her diverse background at Coca-Cola and “a track-record of exceptional achievements” in every area she has been involved in.
“Bea has worked to integrate sustainability initiatives into a number of marketing agendas that she has led and she has been involved with multiple boards and other initiatives that have helped support sustainable communities,” she said.
Goals
The company has 25 sustainability goals across multiple areas of focus including water stewardship, sustainable packaging, climate protection and supporting sustainable communities.
One of the biggest areas of focus for the company is water, according to Manley. She said the company is working actively to maintain a water sustainable business on a global scale.
The strategy is to minimise the company’s operational water footprint by meeting or exceeding its water efficiency and wastewater treatment targets.
“We also have a robust sustainability program that includes conducting a Source Vulnerability Assessment and creating a Source Water Protection Plan for each plant to identify and address local water resource issues and risks,” said Manley.
