2018 - Page 5 of 5

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY ANNOUNCES NEW GLOBAL VISION TO HELP CREATE A WORLD WITHOUT WASTE

Company Sets Goal to Help Collect and Recycle a Bottle or Can for Every One it Sells by 2030

ATLANTA, Jan. 19, 2018 – The Coca-Cola Company announced today that it is fundamentally reshaping its approach to packaging, with a global goal to help collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of its packaging by 2030.
This goal is the centerpiece of the Company’s new packaging vision for a World Without Waste, which the Coca-Cola system intends to back with a multi-year investment that includes ongoing work to make packaging 100% recyclable. This begins with the understanding that food and beverage containers are an important part of people’s modern lives but that there is much more to be done to reduce packaging waste globally.

“The world has a packaging problem – and, like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it,” said James Quincey, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “Through our World Without Waste vision, we are investing in our planet and our packaging to help make this problem a thing of the past.”

The Company and its bottling partners are pursuing several key goals:

• Investing in the planet: By 2030, for every bottle or can the Coca-Cola system sells globally, we aim to help take one back so it has more than one life. The Company is investing its marketing dollars and skills behind this 100% collection goal to help people understand what, how and where to recycle. We will support collection of packaging across the industry, including bottles and cans from other companies. The Coca-Cola system will work with local communities, industry partners, our customers, and consumers to help address issues like packaging litter and marine debris.
• Investing in packaging: To achieve its collection goal, The Coca-Cola Company is continuing to work toward making all of its packaging 100% recyclable globally. The Company is building better bottles, whether through more recycled content, by developing plant-based resins, or by reducing the amount of plastic in each container.
By 2030, the Coca-Cola system also aims to make bottles with an average of 50% recycled content.
The goal is to set a new global standard for beverage packaging.

Currently, the majority of the Company’s packaging is recyclable. World Without Waste is the next step in the Company’s ongoing sustainability efforts, building off success in replenishing an estimated 100% of the water it uses in its final beverages. The Company achieved and exceeded its water replenishment goal in 2015, five years ahead of expectations. These efforts are part of the Company’s larger strategy to grow with conscience, by becoming a total beverage company that grows the right way.
“Bottles and cans shouldn’t harm our planet, and a litter-free world is possible,” Quincey said. “Companies like ours must be leaders. Consumers around the world care about our planet, and they want and expect companies to take action. That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and we invite others to join us on this critical journey.”
The Coca-Cola Company will work to achieve these goals with the help of several global partners:
the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, The Ocean Conservancy/Trash Free Seas Alliance and World Wildlife Fund (The Cascading Materials Vision and Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance). Coca-Cola will also launch efforts with new partners at the regional and local level and plans to work with its key customers to help motivate consumers to recycle more packaging.

To learn more, visit Coca-Cola Journey.

20.01.2018

New participation record for the BCSDH Future Leaders Talent Program

News

With the participation of 37 talented young leaders, the fifth year of the BCSDH’s Future Leaders Talent Program has begun, and was officially inaugurated on January 18th.

The outstanding success of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Hungary (BCSDH), which is based on the World Business Council’s international program, is proven by the knowledge that 100 talented executives have been awarded a diploma during the four years of its existence, and by the fact that in 2018 the fifth year of the talent program will welcome a higher number of participants than ever before.

BASF Hungária Kft., one of the organization’s member companies, hosted the opening event on January 18th at which the young executives met the mentors who support the program for the first time.

“It is a great pleasure to see how the program’s primary goal is being fulfilled, since it is reaching the number one and top executives of the future more and more efficiently. Many of the students of the previous course have become the catalysts of the sustainability processes of their own organizations, or even new ones.” – highlighted Irén Márta, Managing Director of BCSDH – which is comprised of 30 companies that produce 30 percent of Hungarian GDP.

Attila Chikán Jr., president of the organization, emphasized in his opening speech that the goal of the program is to explain the complex conceptual system of corporate sustainability and existing practices to future leaders and talented professionals who will later become corporate leaders so that they can work and make business decisions according to these principles.It is important to note that the seven principles of BCSDH’s “Complex Interpretation of Corporate Sustainability” offer the best possible framework for this, as they are based on the most important business issues involving corporate sustainability that managers have to deal with.

“The BCSDH’s Future Leaders Talent Program is a practice-oriented training course whose benefits can be seen in the daily operations of each company. BASF has been delegating participants to the program for years, and this year (year five), our employees will be able to get to know the sustainability practices of the BCSDH members. The impacts of the program go way beyond individual benefits: the acquired knowledge not only benefits their professional and private lives, but they can also share it with their co-workers so that it can be integrated into corporate culture.”- added Dr. Thomas Narbeshuber, Managing Director of BASF Hungária Kft., and host of the opening event.

Zita Szederkényi, Head of the Future Leaders Talent Program, presented details of the program and introduced the mentors of the 25 member companies. This vibrant program is unique in Hungary as participants become acquainted with a theoretical and practical knowledge of corporate sustainability, and the program helps them to learn and develop through factory visits, case studies, discussions, CEO interviews, professional lectures, and interactive exercises. During the training events, participants get insight into 31 companies’ operations from a variety of industries.

The 37 young leaders participating in the 2018 program came from the following companies:

ALTEO Group, BASF, Budapest Airport, Coca-Cola, Coface, Continental, Deloitte, Dome, eisberg, E.ON, Essity, GE, Generali, Grundfos, KPMG, MagNet Bank, McDonald’s, METRO, MOL, Nestlé, Prímaenergia, Rossmann, Shell, Siemens, Syngenta, Telenor, Unilever.

Among the participants we can find Gábor Földvári, winner of the scholarship for university students and presently a student of Corvinus University of Budapest, taking an M.Sc. in Finance.

This year’s most important mentoring companies: ALTEO Group, BASF, BDL, Budapest Airport, Coca-Cola, Cothec, Dandelion, Dreher, eisberg, E.ON, Essity, GE, Grundfos, Inest, KPMG, MagNet Bank, McDonald’s, MOL, Nestlé, Richter Gedeon, Shell, Szerencsejáték, Telenor, Unilever.

19.01.2018

The first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics has been adopted

News

The first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics, adopted 16th January 2018, is a part of the transition towards a more circular economy.

It will protect the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation, turning a challenge into a positive agenda for the Future of Europe. There is a strong business case for transforming the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU and by taking the lead in this transition, we will create new investment opportunities and jobs. Under the new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics will be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics will be restricted.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development, said: “If we don’t change the way we produce and use plastics, there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans by 2050. We must stop plastics getting into our water, our food, and even our bodies. The only long-term solution is to reduce plastic waste by recycling and reusing more. This is a challenge that citizens, industry and governments must tackle together. With the EU Plastics Strategy we are also driving a new and more circular business model. We need to invest in innovative new technologies that keep our citizens and our environment safe whilst keeping our industry competitive.”

Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness, said: “With our plastic strategy we are laying the foundations for a new circular plastics economy, and driving investment towards it. This will help to reduce plastic litter in land, air and sea while also bringing new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and high quality jobs. This is a great opportunity for European industry to develop global leadership in new technology and materials. Consumers are empowered to make conscious choices in favour of the environment. This is true win-win.”

Every year, Europeans generate 25 million tonnes of plastic waste, but less than 30% is collected for recycling. Across the world, plastics make up 85% of beach litter. And plastics are even reaching citizens’ lungs and dinner tables, with microplastics in air, water and food having an unknown impact on their health. Building on the Commission’s past work, the new EU-wide strategy on plastics will tackle the issue head on.

Today’s plastic strategy will transform the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU. Too often the way plastics are currently produced, used and discarded fail to capture the economic benefits of a more circular approach. It harms the environment. The goal is to protect the environment whilst at the same time lay foundations to a new plastic economy, where the design and production fully respect reuse, repair and recycling needs and more sustainable materials are developed.

Europe is best placed to lead this transition. This approach will bring new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and job creation. With the plastic strategy, the Commission has adopted a Monitoring Framework, composed of a set of ten key indicators which cover each phase of the cycle, which will measure progress towards the transition to a circular economy at EU and national level.

Under the new strategy, the European Union will:

Make recycling profitable for business: New rules on packaging will be developed to improve the recyclability of plastics used on the market and increase the demand for recycled plastic content. With more plastic being collected, improved and scaled up recycling facilities should be set up, alongside a better and standardised system for the separate collection and sorting of waste across the EU. This will save around a hundred euros per tonne collected. It will also deliver greater added value for a more competitive, resilient plastics industry.
Curb plastic waste: European legislation has already led to a significant reduction in plastic bag use in several Member States. The new plans will now turn to other single-use plastics and fishing gear, supporting national awareness campaigns and determining the scope of new EU-wide rules to be proposed in 2018 based on stakeholder consultation and evidence. The Commission will also take measures to restrict the use of microplastics in products, and fix labels for biodegradable and compostable plastics.
Stop littering at sea: New rules on port reception facilities will tackle sea-based marine litter, with measures to ensure that waste generated on ships or gathered at sea is not left behind but returned to land and adequately managed there. Also included are measures to reduce the administrative burden on ports, ships and competent authorities.
Drive investment and innovation: The Commission will provide guidance for national authorities and European businesses on how to minimise plastic waste at source. Support for innovation will be scaled up, with an additional €100 million financing the development of smarter and more recyclable plastics materials, making recycling processes more efficient, and tracing and removing hazardous substances and contaminants from recycled plastics.
Spur change across the world: As the European Union does its own homework, we will also work with partners from around the world to come up with global solutions and develop international standards. We will also continue to support others, as we have done with the clean-up of the Ganga River in India.

Next Steps

The new Directive on port reception facilities proposed today will now go to the European Parliament and Council for adoption.

Subject to Better Regulation requirements, the Commission will present the proposal on single-use plastics later in 2018.

Stakeholders have until 12 February 2018 to contribute to the ongoing public consultation.

The Commission will launch the work on the revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and prepare guidelines on separate collection and sorting of waste to be issued in 2019.

For the full list of measures and their timeline, see the Annex to the Plastics Strategy here.

Background

Continuing in the spirit of the 2015 Circular Economy Package, the Plastics Strategy has been prepared by a core project team of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and Commissioners Karmenu Vella and Elżbieta Bieńkowska. Many other Commissioners were also involved in its preparation and helped identify the most effective tools covering a wide range of policy areas.

The initiatives adopted by the College today take the form of:

A Communication on a European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy;
A Communication on the Interface between Chemicals, Products and Waste;
A Monitoring Framework on the Circular Economy;
A new Directive on Port Reception Facilities.

They are complemented by the Report on Critical Raw Materials and the Report on Oxo-plastics.

The European Commission adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Package on 2 December 2015, of which today’s measures form part.

The Plastics Strategy will also make a tangible contribution to reaching the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement objectives on climate change.

The EU has already taken significant steps by setting requirements for Member States to adopt measures to cut the consumption of plastic bags and to monitor and reduce marine litter.

Going forward, there are also significant prospects for developing an innovative circular plastics industry worldwide.

Source: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-5_en.htm

17.01.2018

Irén Márta represented the BCSDH at the One Planet Summit

News

It is a great honour for our organisation that, besides President János Áder, the BCSDH was the other invitee from Hungary to attend the One Planet Summit in Paris on 12 December, 2017.

On 12 December 2017, two years to the day after the historic Paris Agreement was concluded, the One Planet Summit brought together local, regional and national leaders, as well as those working in public and private finance to discuss how they can support and accelerate global efforts to fight climate change.

Source of Photos: Euronews, Irén Márta

https://www.oneplanetsummit.fr/en/

03.01.2018