Coca-Cola in Croatia – Leader in Corporate Social Responsibility

The Coca-Cola business system has been present in Croatia since 1968 when a bottling plant was opened in Zagreb and has been an important part of the Croatian economy from the very beginning. A study on the socioeconomic impact of Coca-Cola’s operations in Croatia, conducted on the occasion of its 45th anniversary, showed that every kuna of direct contribution from Coca-Cola brings an additional 9 kunas of indirect contribution to the economy through the operations of partners and suppliers. Furthermore, every job within the Coca-Cola business system creates an additional 12 jobs in the broader economy, and from every kuna spent on Coca-Cola products, as much as 90 lipas remains in the Croatian economy.

The Coca-Cola system places exceptional emphasis on sustainability and reducing negative environmental impacts and is one of the leaders in the field of corporate social responsibility. The Coca-Cola system pays special attention to the preservation of water resources. Globally, within the system comprising The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling plants, a goal was set to achieve complete neutrality in water usage by 2020. However, Coca-Cola recently announced that it will likely meet this goal by the end of this year, a full five years ahead of schedule, as the latest estimates show that Coca-Cola has achieved a high balance of 94% in consumed and returned water on a global scale.

Part of the corporate social responsibility of the Coca-Cola business system is its partnership with employees and continuous investment in improving working conditions, as well as concern for employee health. For this reason, Coca-Cola has been among the most desirable employers in Croatia for years and holds numerous awards and certifications that demonstrate the quality of its relationships with employees.

For Coca-Cola, caring for consumers, just like caring for employees and the environment, is one of the strategic determinants of its business. Therefore, Coca-Cola is actively engaged in addressing the most important issues related to consumer welfare, which at this moment on a global scale is the issue of overweight and inactivity among the population and the growing number of related diseases. Thus, the Coca-Cola system, together with governments, governmental institutions, non-governmental organizations, and experts in the fields of medicine, nutrition, and kinesiology in more than 200 countries where it operates, is actively involved in addressing these issues.  

A broader consensus among all involved in addressing this problem indicates that the main cause of overweight and obesity is energy imbalance – the consumption of a greater number of calories compared to expenditure. Therefore, Coca-Cola considers it necessary to educate consumers about the importance of a balanced and varied diet and regular physical activity to ensure energy balance. Taking into account the different lifestyles and dietary habits of consumers, Coca-Cola offers a wide range of products with a special focus on expanding the choice of products with lower sugar content or without sugar and smaller packaging. It also prominently displays calorie information on all its products and does not advertise its products to children, i.e., those under 12 years of age.

In addition to all this, Coca-Cola has been conducting a range of activities aimed at educating consumers and encouraging citizens to move, recreate, and engage in sports for several years in Croatia. It supports programs and activities aimed at promoting physical activity and exercise, such as the Plitvice Marathon, but also conducts its own activities in collaboration with the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Zagreb as part of the project Movement for Joy. At the same time, the Coca-Cola system in Croatia is also a partner in the public health educational project Five – Playing for Health, conducted by the Croatian Medical Association in collaboration with the international organization EPODE International Network, which is aimed at preventing and reducing the level of obesity among school-aged children.