Better Health for All
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Coca-Cola's core products, sugary beverages, are linked to a global rise in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
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While 45% of its total volume by 2022 comprised low or zero-calorie drinks,
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these alternatives face scrutiny, with aspartame classified as 'possibly carcinogenic' by WHO
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and non-sugar sweeteners linked to increased risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
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This means 55% of its volume is from products with well-established negative health outcomes, and the alternatives also carry significant health concerns. The company has made efforts to reduce sugar content, achieving a 33% total reduction since 2000
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and committing to another 10% by 2025 in the EU/UK,
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and offers smaller pack sizes.
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However, its risk transparency is severely compromised. Coca-Cola has funded public health conferences and organizations, sometimes without full disclosure,
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raising concerns about suppressing unfavorable research and promoting narratives that downplay sugar risks.
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A WHO panel evaluating aspartame safety was also linked to a Coca-Cola-funded group,
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further questioning the integrity of health information. These actions actively undermine health literacy and constitute major health-harming externalities, as the company's 'remediation' efforts (artificial sweeteners) also pose health risks.
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage corporation and does not offer consumer lending, deposit services, or other financial products. The company engages in various initiatives to support economic empowerment. Its Bizniz in a Box program in South Africa created over 700 new women-run micro-businesses.
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Coca-Cola Nigeria's Special Intervention Program empowered over 20,000 individuals with business skills.
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The GIRA Mujeres program provides financial education and entrepreneurship training for women.
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The Coca-Cola Foundation contributed $1 million to Operation HOPE for financial education for women and girls.
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In 2023, The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company donated $158.1 million to organizations worldwide for sustainable community initiatives and economic empowerment.
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Coca-Cola also collaborates with Kiva to provide crowdfunded loans to underserved communities.
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In 2000, the company committed $1 billion over five years to an empowerment and entrepreneurship program in the US, aiming to increase spending with minority- and women-owned businesses.
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Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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The company has faced three substantiated labor-law or human-rights violations in the past three years. In January 2023, a Hawaii court ruled against Coca-Cola, ordering the reinstatement of an employee unlawfully discriminated against following a workplace injury and awarding over $318,000 in lost wages.
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In August 2023, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board found that Coca-Cola Canada Bottling violated labor laws by using non-unionized workers for tasks typically done by striking employees.
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In October 2023, Coca-Cola Consolidated settled allegations of underpaying employees for $3.05 million due to a timekeeping system outage.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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The Coca-Cola Company achieved 64% sustainable sourcing for its global priority ingredient volumes in 2022 and 2023, aligning with its Principles for Sustainable Agriculture and leader standards.
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Its Supplier Guiding Principles, which extend human rights policies throughout the supply chain, are incorporated into contracts and purchase orders, ensuring compliance across tiers.
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At least one case of child labour was discovered at a manufacturing licensed plant producing promotional goods for the World Cup, leading to contract termination.
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Honest & Fair Business
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The company faces significant regulatory penalties, with a US Tax Court decision agreeing to a $9 billion transfer pricing adjustment
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and $2.7 billion in additional tax due for 2007-2009,
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which the company appealed in October 2024.
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It also has severe and recurring ESG controversies, having been named the top plastic polluter for six consecutive years through 2023.
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In December 2024, the company revised down its environmental goals,
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leading to accusations of undermining efforts to reduce plastic pollution
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and litigation over misleading recyclability claims.
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Los Angeles County initiated a lawsuit in November 2024, alleging deceptive practices regarding the recyclability of plastic bottles.
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Conversely, the company maintains a robust anti-corruption policy that applies globally to all employees, officers, directors, and majority-owned subsidiaries.
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It prohibits all forms of bribery and facilitation payments (with strict prior written approval for exceptions),
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requires prior written approval for dealings with government officials via a Government Dealings Approval Tool (GDAT),
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mandates third-party due diligence for third parties interacting with government officials (renewed every three years),
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includes biennial training for relevant employees,
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and conducts periodic internal audits.
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The company also has a comprehensive whistleblower policy with a 24/7 anonymous EthicsLine managed by a third party,
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available in multiple languages.
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The policy strictly prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers
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and commits to contacting reporters within 30 days.
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Kind to Animals
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The Coca-Cola Company has a policy, updated in February 2026, stating it will no longer fund or conduct animal experiments, and asks its partners to use alternatives, with an exception for tests explicitly required by governmental agencies.
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In November 2024, Coca-Cola stopped funding animal experiments at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Food Research Institute.
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The company's Animal Health and Welfare Guiding Principles, released in November 2023, emphasize humane treatment, the Five Freedoms, and encourage practices like providing space, proper facilities, and pain mitigation.
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However, allegations of "egregious and frequent" animal cruelty at Fairlife supplier farms in Arizona (2025) and Indiana (2019, 2023) led to a supplier cutting ties with two farms.
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In May 2022, Coca-Cola and other parties agreed to a $21 million settlement for lawsuits alleging false advertising that Fairlife milk came from humanely treated cows.
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For wildlife conservation, the company has restored nearly 900 acres of watersheds
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and aimed to restore over 13,497 acres of wetlands, rivers, and floodplains by the end of 2021 through a partnership with WWF.
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It also partners to revive seagrass meadows and clean marine debris from the Great Barrier Reef.
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No War, No Weapons
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The Coca-Cola Company had a minor historical contract with the U.S. Department of the Army, a $1,134 delivery order in 2002.
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The company states it strives to respect and promote human rights by upholding the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
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, and its Global Human Rights department provides regular updates to the Board on salient risks.
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Historically, during World War II, Coca-Cola was bottled in 44 countries
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, and 64 bottling plants were shipped abroad
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, with over 5 billion bottles consumed by military personnel.
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The company has been mentioned in articles regarding the conflict in Sudan and its connection to gum arabic, a key ingredient.
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Coca-Cola has supported peace-related initiatives, including sponsoring a 2023 lecture on environmental peacebuilding
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, collaborating on social justice conversations in 2020
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, and awarding a $10,000 grant in 2017 for a peace and reconciliation project in Colombia.
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The company also states it does not conduct unauthorized business with countries or third parties subject to trade embargoes or economic sanctions
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and discontinued its membership with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
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Planet-Friendly Business
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The Coca-Cola Company reported total Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions of 6,347,472 tCO₂e in 2024
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, with public disclosure covering 7 out of 15 Scope 3 categories
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. The company aims to reduce its emissions in line with a 1.5°C trajectory by 2035 from a 2019 baseline
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, covering Scope 1, 2, and 3
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, though explicit SBTi validation for this specific target is not stated. In 2024, 28% of the Coca-Cola system's electricity was sourced from renewables
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. The company used 28% recycled material in its global primary consumer packaging in 2024
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The Coca-Cola Company has faced cultural appropriation incidents, including a 2015 Christmas advertisement in Mexico that was criticized for perpetuating stereotypes of indigenous people.
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In response, the company issued an apology and removed the ad.
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An indigenous business in Colombia is also challenging Coca-Cola's trademark on the word 'coca', arguing it infringes on indigenous cultural heritage.
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The company invested 1.4% of its operating income back into local communities in 2022.
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It has established 15 formal partnership agreements with local community groups and related organizations, including 8 partners for the Great Barrier Reef restoration project, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Forest Foundation, AIME for indigenous education, and sponsorships for four provincial cultural shows.
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The company engages at least one indigenous entity, Mandubarra Aboriginal Land and Sea Inc, as a partner in a seagrass restoration project.
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Furthermore, Coca-Cola actively supports the protection of cultural heritage sites through projects like the Great Barrier Reef restoration.
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Safe & Smart Tech
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The Coca-Cola Company experienced a minor data breach in May 2025, affecting 959 employees at Coca-Cola Gulf.
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For AI ethics, the company has a robust governance structure, with every AI project evaluated by a council led by the CFO, and a VP and global head of generative AI appointed in June.
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All AI programs and vendor relationships adhere to strict ethical criteria, including bias evaluations and algorithmic transparency.
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In terms of privacy, Coca-Cola is certified to the EU-U.S., UK Extension, and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks
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and explicitly complies with GDPR, CCPA, and other US state privacy laws, with continuous monitoring.
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The company provides users with comprehensive control over their data, including rights to access, delete, correct, and opt-out of data sale, sharing, or targeted advertising, and proactively seeks consent for changes.
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Coca-Cola limits data collection to only necessary data and applies data minimization principles, including deletion post-consent withdrawal.
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The company conducts regular cybersecurity tests, including external penetration testing and tabletop exercises, to enhance its practices.
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There are no documented incidents of the company using data beyond its agreed scope.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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In 2024, 99% of the company's packages were recyclable globally, including caps and labels.
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The company used 28% recycled material in its global primary packaging in 2024.
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, with 18% of PET used being recycled PET in the same year.
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The company has set several global waste reduction targets, including aiming for 100% of its primary packaging to be recyclable by 2025
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, using 50% recycled content in primary packaging by 2030
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, and having at least 25% of its beverages sold in refillable containers by 2030.
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It also aims to collect the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells globally by 2030
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and to collect 70% to 75% of equivalent bottles and cans by 2035.
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Select sustainability metrics received a review level of assurance.
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