They will expand dozens of conservation, reforestation and access to water projects in the six countries of the Southern Cone, informed the Sustainability manager.
Coca-Cola announced that in 2022 will exceed 1.8 million dollars invested in projects of environmental conservation, reforestation, treatment and access to water in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, revealed company sources.
In an interview with Efe, the manager of Sustainability for the Southern Cone of Coca-Cola, Rodrigo Brito, highlighted thate the company carries out water replacement initiatives globally since 2007, offsetting the resources used in an “increasing” and “consistent” manner.
“Between 2021 and 2022, we will start and expand 14 projects for conservation, reforestation and access to water in the six countries of the Su Coner, which, together, will protect more than 20,000 hectares, bring drinking water to 27,000 people and will also promote integration and collaboration between 20 social organizations in the region, ”explained Brito.
In addition, there are 14 other projects already underway in the region, which have directly benefited more than 230,000 people, in addition to contributing to the conservation of 134,678 hectares.
Through this model, the company, which produces more than 45,000 million liters of beverages per year in Latin America, manages to return to nature and local communities almost 53,000 million liters, with a water replacement rate of 115%.
“Water is not like carbon (…) it is not possible to reach a similar equilibrium in the emission because we have the same amount of water on the planet today as in the time of the dinosaurs, and it will remain the same. The problem is where it is and how to keep it where it is needed ”, he explained.
What are Ecuador’s 5 challenges for the environment in 2020
“They are water programs, but bring social, environmental and climate benefits (…) We want more companies to use the concept of water replacement. It is an expensive process and our intention is to attract new actors to establish partnerships and carry out more projects, “he added.
Keys to sustainable development
For Brito, establishing alliances is one of the greatest challenges for the expansion of the projects of environmental conservation in the region, but a fundamental tool for the long-term success of self-sustaining and community-managed programs.
Companies, for their part, must “listen to local actors to understand the best way to collaborate”, An advantage that private investment has over public investment, since many local governments, although they are a fundamental part, are constrained by bureaucratic processes, low budgets and lack of structure.
2020, another bad year for the environment in Latin America
In this sense, public-private partnerships (PPP) are, according to Brito, a key modality for the sustainable development of the region with a capacity for expansion and impact enhanced by the popularization of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), which refer to environmental, social and corporate governance factors.
“The objective is not to assume the role of the State or of civil society. Quite the opposite. We want cooperate to strengthen them”He insisted.
On environmental protection and investments, Guillermo Lasso discussed with world leaders and the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, at COP26
An example of this is the project developed in the Brazilian municipality of Jundiaí, in the state of Sao Paulo, where Coca-Cola collaborates with the local council and with the Sierra del Japi Foundation to enclose the native forest. 500 cameras have already been installed, in addition to creating tourist routes and an environmental education program for the local population.
The company’s head of sustainability for the Southern Cone also highlighted, in Brazil, the Water + Access program, created in 2017, which supplies more than 155,000 people from 390 rural communities and low-income in 10 states since 2017.
Likewise, he emphasized the importance of the Innova Agua Fund, in Chile, aimed at investments in the development of sustainable technological solutions or the association with the NGO Fundación Natura, in Bolivia, responsible for the recovery and conservation of more than 14,650 hectares in Santa Cruz and La Paz, among others. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
