Water Reduction and Stewardship

Water Reduction and Stewardship

WATER

We use water in every part of our business: it is the main component of our drinks, is needed to grow core ingredients such as sugar and fruit, and helps us to clean, wash and sanitise our production equipment. We recognise the need to protect this valuable resource, especially in areas of our operations where water is scarce or at risk. In 2024, we invested €5.2 million in water saving and water efficiency programmes.


Mission 2025 sustainability commitments

  • Reduce water used per litre of beverage by 20% vs. 2017 in plants located in water risk areas;

  • Help secure water availability for all our communities in water risk areas.


Water community project in Crete, one of 12  water resources projects Water community project in Crete, one of 12  water resources projects Our water community project in Crete is one of our 12 water resources projects that are making a difference in water-scarce communities where we operate

Climate change affects both water availability and quality. We are committed to protecting this valuable resource, particularly in areas facing scarcity or heightened risk. Our Mission 2025 sets specific targets for water, including reducing water used per litre of beverage by 20% compared with our 2017 baseline, in plants located in water risk areas. We also recycle wastewater from our manufacturing sites, returning it safely to the environment.


Negative impacts on ecosystem services are avoided by implementing replenishment projects in our plants in countries we operate. Our negative impact assessed in direct operations is related only to water use, however, we address water across the entire value chain by:

  • undertaking Source Vulnerability Assessments in 100% of our manufacturing sites, which serves as a basis for our Source Water Protection Plan
  • actively reducing the amount of water used in the production of our beverages and treating wastewater at levels that support aquatic life
  • partnering with suppliers to minimise our water footprint across the entire value chain
  • investing in community water conservation projects designed to replenish the water we use through innovative sustainable technologies
  • Delivering Alliance for Water Stewardship or ISO 46001 Water efficiency management systems certification at all our manufacturing sites.

We acknowledge that the local context is of the highest importance when designing water actions. As part of Mission 2025, we have committed to reducing water use by 20% in plants located in water risk areas vs. the baseline of 2017 and to helping secure water availability for communities in those areas. Together with other stakeholders in those watersheds, we want to make sure that these communities retain access to safe, good quality water.

Our comprehensive water risk assessment, which is carried out via globally accredited tools (WWF Water Risk Filter and WRI Aqueduct) and The Coca-Cola Company’s Facility Risk Assessment (FAWVA), tells us that 19 of our bottling plants are operating in water-risk areas. That’s why we are focusing our efforts and treat those as our water priority locations. Most of these are in Nigeria, with challenges related to water access and sanitation (WASH). Other locations include Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, where we are focusing primarily on water-replenishment activities, nature-based solutions, and water quality improvements.

When we built our Mission 2025 sustainability commitments, we set the following goals for our water priority locations:

  • reduce water used per litre of beverage by 20% by 2025 vs. 2017;
  • help secure water availability for all our communities in water risk areas.

Our Action on Water helps to support the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

  • Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation;
  • Goal 15: Life on Land;
  • Goal 14: Life below Water.

Read more about our water management programmes and approach