COCA-COLA GREAT BRITAIN CALLS ON FIFA WORLD CUPTM FANS TO SCORE SAFE WATER FOR SCHOOLS

Consumers to Join Global Coca‑Cola RAIN "Water for Schools" Effort

To Leave Legacy of Water Sustainability in Africa and around the World

             March 11, 2010 -Coca‑Cola Great Britain is calling on consumers to join the football-themed, Coca‑Cola Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) "Water for Schools" project to help provide safe drinking water for schools in Africa.

            The Coca‑Cola RAIN "Water for Schools" effort builds upon an array of community water programmes Coca‑Cola has already implemented in communities around the world to help tackle this issue.

In Great Britain, consumers can help raise funds by donating points on www.cokezone.co.uk - and Coca‑Cola will match every point donated to buy supplies for the "Water for Schools" initiative. Collections will also be held everywhere the FIFA World Cup^TM Trophy appears in the country as part of the FIFA World Cup^TM Trophy Tour by Coca‑Cola.

           

Calling on Football Fans

Speaking this morning at an event at South Africa House, Coca‑Cola Great Britain president Sanjay Guha said: "At Coca‑Cola we are determined to use the power of the FIFA World Cup^TM to leave a lasting legacy for good across Africa, long after the final whistle has blown. As a Company which depends on water for our business, we understand how precious and essential it is to everyone's quality of life.

            "To mark the first time the continent has hosted the tournament, we have pledged to connect hundreds more schools in Africa to clean drinking water," Guha added, "And we want to invite our consumers and football fans to join us in this effort."

 

"Best Player Celebration" Award

The theme of the overall Coca‑Cola campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup^TM - Celebration - has been inspired by the happiness expressed through football, especially the joyous dance celebrations from Africa.  Throughout the tournament Coca‑Cola and FIFA will recognise the most entertaining goal celebrations with an online "Best Player Celebration" award, voted for by fans.  Each time a player celebrates a goal with a dance, Coca‑Cola will donate more funds to the Coca‑Cola RAIN "Water for Schools" effort.

                       

The Goal: Potable Water Access for Schools

Funds raised will be deployed toward initiatives with specific emphasis on Africa - as the continental host for the tournament - and managed by The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation to make a positive direct impact on students and communities.  In addition to this fund-raising, Coca‑Cola will also donate US$1 million in 2010 to clean-water projects at African schools through RAIN.

William Asiko, president of The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation, said "School water projects have been among the most effective approaches to improving young people's lives, which has a positive multiplier effect across communities.

"African football has a unique generosity of spirit," Asiko added.  "As fans in nations everywhere release their African rhythm through the FIFA World Cup^TM, we're inviting them to also tap into their spirit of generosity and share our commitment to sustainability.  We encourage them to unite with Coca‑Cola in addressing the survival of Africa's youth, because a healthier Africa means a healthier world for all of us."

Peter Lochery, the head of water programmes for CARE, the global humanitarian organization whose clean water and sanitation initiatives increase access for schools and communities, especially women and girls said: "Coca‑Cola is accelerating its water efforts in Africa at a crucial time.  This effort further demonstrates the Coca‑Cola commitment to working with partners such as CARE who are on the front lines of the global battle to deliver safe water, sanitation and hygiene to millions in need."

CARE is among the nonprofit partners who have worked closely with The Coca‑Cola Company on community water projects in Africa and elsewhere and will have a key implementation role in the Coca‑Cola RAIN "Water for Schools" effort.

 

 

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For more information please contact the Coca‑Cola Great Britain Press Office

tel: 020 8237 3782

gbpressoffice@eur.ko.com

 

 'Coca‑Cola' is a registered trade mark of The Coca‑Cola Company

 

Notes to Editors:

 

• The Coca‑Cola RAIN "Water for Schools" effort builds upon the Company's long history of global water stewardship, including The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation's RAIN efforts to provide safe water to communities throughout Africa. In March 2009, the foundation announced its latest RAIN commitment, an unprecedented, six-year, US$30 million drive to provide at least 2 million people in Africa with clean water and improved sanitation by 2015 - helping to meet the United Nations' "Millennium Development Goals" target for access to clean water.

 

• By 2015, the number of people living without access to safe water in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to rise by 47 million. Worldwide, about 50 percent of an estimated 1.2 billion school students lack access to safe drinking water. School students have the highest rate of water-related illness, and the lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities limits enrollment, especially among girls.

 

• The RAIN community water projects run by The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation and local delivery partners reflect the Coca‑Cola water stewardship goal of returning to communities and to nature an amount of water equivalent to what is used in all of its beverages and their production.
• The strategy for achieving that goal includes reducing the water Coca‑Cola uses; returning all water it uses for manufacturing to the environment at a level that supports aquatic life and agriculture; and replenishing healthy watersheds and sustainable community water programmes, to balance the water used by the Company to make finished beverages.

 

• The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation concentrates on three areas to support its RAIN goals: rehabilitation of water distribution areas; productive use of water; and protection of watersheds. The Foundation currently has community water projects in 19 African countries, reaching more than 300,000 people.

 

• Water stewardship is one of four strategic pillars on which The Coca‑Cola Africa Foundation focuses its resources, along with education, entrepreneurship, and health - including the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and hepatitis.

 

• As Coca‑Cola engages fans worldwide to help provide clean drinking water for schools, it also will be working to reduce and manage its environmental impact from marketing activities for the FIFA World Cup^TM. Coca‑Cola teams will be armed with a set of Green Guidelines for their FIFA World Cup^TM programmes. The guidelines include measures for conserving water; keeping activation venues clean by recovering and recycling all collected bottles and cans; producing eco-friendly promotional materials; reducing energy use and using low-emissions transportation, when available.

 

• To learn more about the global Coca‑Cola sustainability mission, visit www.sustainability.thecoca-colacompany.com.

 

• To learn more about Coca‑Cola sustainability in Great Britain, visit www.cokecorporateresponsibility.co.uk