Coca-Cola Co, the world's largest beverage company, has deepened its collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund in China and joined hands with others to tackle environment issues as part of the company's continuous efforts to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection.
The new initiative in China between Coca-Cola and WWF, which was announced yesterday in Beijing, is called the "The Yangtze Water+" project. It is expected to tackle all the forces that impact fresh water to seek new models of freshwater protection and conservation.
Both Coca-Cola and WWF want to make a bigger environmental impact by helping address the natural resource challenges that impact fresh water.
"We're bringing the strength of both sides to extend the scope and depth of the partnership and this is part of our endeavor to seek solutions that balance between economic development and environmental protection," said Ahmet C. Bozer, president of Coca-Cola International.
"The Yangtze Water+," which will be extended through 2020, will leverage the experiences accumulated in the first phase, and will include three key components: freshwater conservation, building of sustainable value chain, and evaluating ecosystem value.
As usual, Coca-Cola would stick to its "golden triangle" rule to seek partnership between business, government and civil society to combine each side's strengths, expertise and networks.
It will convene partners from the State Forestry Administration of China to share insights and solutions.
"We're pleased to see Coca-Cola's renewed partnership with WWF," said Ma Guangren, director of the Wetland Management Center of the State Forestry Administration. "It sets a transformative approach that seeks more solutions to water and wetland resources management challenges. At the same time we also want to bring more social forces to collaborate on the protection of wetlands."
In terms of freshwater conservation, seven to 10 key wetlands will serve as demonstrations for the restoration of ecosystems, with an eventual aim to magnify the experience obtained from the demo sites to at least 143 members of the Yangtze Wetland Conservation Network set up by WWF and the State Forestry Administration.
Agriculture friendly
Besides, the new project will also promote more environmentally friendly agriculture approaches through the entire cultivation and harvest process, with the focus on tea, sugar cane and oranges, to minimize the pollution of fresh water.
In addition, the two parties will evaluate the nature capital value of each wetland ecosystem in order to allow stakeholders to better understand its value, thus raising awareness of environment protection from all sides.
Coca-Cola and WWF's partnership in terms of conservation of freshwater resources dates back to 2007, when the two parties launched projects to conserve seven critical freshwater basins around the globe. The Yangtze River was one of the seven basins.
Coca-Cola has invested more than US$10 million in the past seven years in China's partnership projects focusing on water conservation, sustainable agriculture and public awareness improvement.
The first phase of initiatives also included improving water efficiency within the company's operations, reducing carbon emissions and inspiring a global movement to conserve water.
These include a water conservation model built in Minjiang and Jialingjiang watersheds, which is estimated to have replenished a total of 800 million liters of clean water back to nature and the community.
The Yangtze River accounts for 34 percent of China's freshwater resources and holds a critical role in the country's biodiversity yet is severely challenged by industrialization and urbanization.
Globally, Coca-Cola's extended partnership with the WWF also includes restoration and protection of freshwater basins including the Amazon, Koshi, Mekon and Rio Grande/Bravo.
The experience and lessons gained from preserving the environment in these regions will be replicated and extended to contribute to global freshwater conservation efforts.
