Within the framework provided by a unique partnership Coca-Cola Hungary is taking part in the revival of the endangered Liberty Island near the city of Mohács (along the river Danube). The 47-acre island were threatened by siltation and disappearance endangering valuable natural habitats and the source of the regional drinking water.

As the EUR 1.8 million project comes to an end in 2013, we put emphasize to communicate the results of the previous 5 years and draw attention to the spectacular natural values of the Danube, the largest Hungarian river. In early November in all Cinema City cinemas in Hungary a 30 second spot was broadcasted about Liberty Island project, a wetland habitat restoration CSR project of Coca-Cola Hellenic Hungary.

The spot was screened in all the 176 Cinema City halls throughout the country before all the movies during two weeks in early November as part of our commercial agreement with the multiplex cinema network company. During this period almost 300,000 people got familiar with Coca-Cola Hungary largest water stewardship project.

 Spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hAS86D6iB8&feature=youtu.be

To save the island, the  company, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Hungary, Danube-Drava National Park (DDNP), the local water works DRV, national organizations for the environment and water, and the city of Mohács have joined forces.  In 2007 Coca-Cola Hungary provided financial support to launch the program, which allowed WWF Hungary to successfully submit a tender in 2008 to the EU LIFE+ Nature program. WWF was granted a subsidy of EUR 1 million by the EU, enabling the project to start up in 2008. The 5 years of the project comes to an end in 2013 and now the company can proudly announce that the island has been saved and properly restored.

Coca-Cola Hungary contributed over EUR 300,000 to the project over a period of 5 years, and also offered hundreds of hours of professional and volunteer work by its employees to help the successful completion of the project. Total budget of the project has reached EUR 1.8 million.

The project was selected by IEEP (Institute for European Environmental Policy) to be published as a case study in a publication describing EU Natura 2000 investments, which only 10 projects have the privilege to be part of in Europe

Key results of the unique freshwater and nature conservation project:

– saving a natural island from disappearing

– securing pure, safe drinking water for the south part of Baranya county (about a million users)

– educational path created on the island

– local community gets back its “Danube bank beach”, which will serve as a safe area for bathing and having fun in the Danube

The 93% let Green House was chosen to be the best project in the LEED for Shell and Core category on the third annual EuropaProperty CEE Green Building Awards ceremony held on the 28th of November.

Skanska Property Hungary had an extraordinarily prosperous last week. Apart from winning four other local real estate prizes in Hungary, Green House also received the award in Warsaw.

“This recognition is a great achievement which we are very proud of. With the 93 point LEED Platinum certification, Hungary’s greenest building was confirmed to be exceptionally good. The EU GreenBuilding certification and A+ energy ranking are also official proof to our committed tenants that, with the outstanding energy efficiency and high percentage of innovative solutions, we are ensuring them a sustainable, cost efficient and healthy environment, a perfect example of our Workplaces by Skanska concept”, said András Schmidt, Sustainability Manager of Skanska Property Hungary.

Skanska’s next Váci Road project – Nordic Light – also took part in the competition and, as a LEED Gold pre-certified building, became short listed in the LEED Pre-Certificate Shell & Core category.

The CEE Green Building Awards, organized in response to the growing significance of green development in the region from both a development and investment perspective, are designed to highlight and provide recognition to all the projects, companies and occupiers that are leading the way in sustainable development.

Green House is currently 93% leased after the building’s handover in December 2012. The 17,800 sq m property still offers units on various floors.

In September 2013, the Coca-Cola Wake Your Body – Calorie Balance Campaign, was awarded the “Best Health Marketing Campaign” prize at the 2013 Beverage Innovation Awards @ Drinktec, in Munich, Germany.

Obesity and concerns about personal health and well-being have become critical issues in the past few years.
As a key player in the communities in which it operates, and as a major supplier of beverages, Coca-Cola Hellenic group has a keen interest in working with partners in government and NGOs to help tackle these challenges. That’s why in 2005, Coca-Cola HBC in Hungary launched “Coca-Cola Wake Your Body”, a multi-disciplined sports and activity programme to drive awareness about the importance of an active lifestyle, promoting understanding about the importance of a balanced diet and making informed choices.
To date, more than three million people have taken part in leisure sports at more than 500 events comprising more than 50 diverse activities including running, biking aerobics and a whole range of other fitness activities.
Eda Pogany, Public Affairs Manager for Coca-Cola HBC Hungary who received the award said, “Nothing is more important to us that the health and happiness of the communities we serve. I am honoured to have been part of this multi-partner event which has been recognized for its community contribution this evening and we look forward to expanding our healthy lifestyle programmes long into the future.”

The Beverage Innovation Awards are an annual event organized by FoodBev Media, and this year were held as part of the Drinktec trade exhibition which is held every four years in Munich.

Nestlé is the leading food products company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the first time with a score of 88%, double the industry average.

The company has also achieved the maximum score for the second year running in the CDP ‘Climate Disclosure Leadership Index’ and the CDP ‘Climate Performance Leadership Index’, both of which are published in the Global 500 Climate Change Report 2013.

Nestlé’s leading positions in all three indices recognise its strong performance against a number of benchmarks that measure the environmental and the social impact of its operations and the transparency of its information disclosure.

Strong policies

Nestlé’s strong policies and transparent reporting in the area of environmental sustainability – including its climate change mitigation activities, water management practices and raw material sourcing – led it to achieving 97% in the ‘environment dimension’ of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the best score in the industry.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is based on an analysis of companies’ economic, environmental and social performance, including areas such as corporate governance, climate strategy, supply chain standards and labour practices.

Halve emissions

Initiatives such as switching from long-distance road transportation to rail or short-sea shipping in Europe, opting for wind power to supply energy to its factories in Mexico, and installing wood-fired boilers at factories in France, have all helped Nestlé to maintain its position in the CDP rankings for the second year running.

The CDP indices measure the performance of the top 500 companies in the FTSE Global Equity Index in terms of their efforts to cut carbon emissions, as well as the transparency of the information they disclose.

Since 2002 Nestlé has managed to halve the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its factories per tonne of product, by continuing to improve energy efficiency, switching to cleaner fuels and investing in renewable sources.

Earlier this year the company announced its commitment to reducing direct GHG emissions per tonne of product by more than a third again by 2015, compared to 2005 levels.

Related information:
Nestlé policy on environmental sustainability
Global 500 Climate Change Report 2013
CDP website
Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Read more stories about Nestlé and environmental sustainability:
Nestlé factory reduces water use by almost two thirds in less than 12 months
Nespresso launches major new sustainability initiatives in Africa and Latin America
Insight: improving our products’ performance along the value chain