Coca-Cola will, reveal a new tide of environment targets that it has set for 2035 with some retreating on previously announced sustainability targets. Updating its water, packaging, and emissions targets, the most significant changes to previous goals are recycling use, which will switch recycled content for the company target towards 35% to 40% by 2035-from a goal to reach 50% by 2030.
The new ones are informed by learnings gathered through decades of work in sustainability, periodic assessment of progress, and identified challenges, said these, according to Coca-Cola are the “underpinnings of” its updated environmental initiatives announced last week. The new commitments follow a history of environmental initiatives under its “World Without Waste” program launched in 2018 including, as objectives the target for the full year 2025 of ensuring packaging becomes 100% recyclable, that at least 50% of all its packaging use comes from recycled content, and to collect and recycle for every bottle or can it sells by 2030.
The company also attempted to go for 25% of all drinks marketed in returnable or refillable containers across the globe since 2022. It, however, later took out this target saying that “it would continue investing into returnable packaging only if the supporting infrastructure was indeed available.”. Instead, it will use higher percentages of recycled material in primary packaging and drive up collection rates through such actions as “Design” and “Partner to Collect”: For example, designing for recyclability, speaking out for well-designed collection systems, and investing in local infrastructure to improve recycling outcomes.
Despite these changes, Coca-Cola pointed out some areas of improvement. The company said it is on track to meet its 2025 goal of making all its packaging recyclable, with 90% already recyclable. It, however admitted to missing the mark on its recycled content and collection targets. In addition to reducing its recycled content target, Coca-Cola also reduced its collection ambition to 70% to 75% by 2035 from its previous target of 100% by 2030.
The company refreshed its commitment to returning more than 100 percent of water used in finished products worldwide back to nature and communities and stayed above this target or on track since 2015. It also refreshed the commitment of replenishing 100 percent of the water footprint across all locations with high risk in its operating system, by over 200 sites, from its previous pledge to address 175 by 2030 at the end of 2035.
Another is updating the company’s climate targets. The company has given up its aim to cut absolute emissions 25% below 2015 levels by 2030 to pursue a new aim that puts Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions on the same track as a 1.5°C path by 2035 from a 2019 base. That supplants an earlier target the Science-Based Targets initiative had rated as in step with a 2°C pathway. Unlike the former target, the new target does not set an absolute number of reduction in emissions.
Moreover, Coca-Cola has taken a decision to abandon the aspirational goal of sourcing 100 percent of priority agricultural ingredients through its Principles for Sustainable Agriculture. The company, which has decided not to continue keeping such an active goal, has promised to work together with suppliers and other stakeholders regarding the matter.
It said it will strive to minimize its consumption of water, curb emissions, stop cutting its forests, and maintain danger zones within its supply chain. It also added a continuation of its partnership that will improve lifestyles on people engaging in sowing and harvesting of its components.
Commenting on new objectives, Coca-Cola Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer Bea Perez said, “We are committed to building long-term business resilience and earning social license to operate through our new voluntary environmental goals.” For meaningful and lasting positive effects, Perez said, effective collaboration is required, targeting investments are needed, and well-designed policies are necessary. The announcement by Coca-Cola shows the challenge multinationals face in balancing sustainability ambitions with operational realities. Some areas have been reported to show progress, but the new goals show the difficulty in achieving global-scale environmental targets within a specified timeline. Coca-Cola is now positioning itself for resource allocation, investment in local infrastructure, and partnerships to address the challenges.