Coca-Cola

How ethical is Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola is a soft drinks brand which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table. Although Coca-Cola has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Coca-Cola if it applied for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement. Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Soft Drinks sector.

What does Coca-Cola do?

Coca-Cola was originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, It was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1888, Pemberton sold the ownership rights to Asa Griggs Candler, a businessman, whose marketing tactics led Coca-Cola to its dominance of the global soft-drink market throughout the 20th and 21st century.

In which areas does Coca-Cola perform poorly?

Coca-Cola receives a bottom rating for its lack of Organic or Fair Trade certification. It also scores poorly for Animal Welfare due to evidence of poor animal welfare standards at farms which supply Coca-Cola owned brands. It gets a bottom score for GM, as Coca-Cola’s website does not rule out the use of GMOs across all of its brands.

Coca-Cola Company donated over $4.5m in recent election cycles so gets a bottom rating for Political Donations. Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Coca-Cola’s record

Coca-Cola has faced multiple criticisms relating to poor wages and living and working conditions, unfair price increases and price fixing, and its CEO came in at number 13 in As You Sow’s report on ‘The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs’.

In which areas does Coca-Cola score well for its ethics?

Coca-Cola scores well for its Environmental Report as parent company Coca-Cola Co. has a 2022 Business & Sustainability Report which contains numerous targets.

We found no criticisms relating to; Nuclear, Fossil Fuels or Armaments,  therefore Coca-Cola scores well across these criteria. Find out more about how we rate.

How can Coca-Cola improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Coca-Cola is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Soft Drinks Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Coca-Cola has some issues to resolve, including its poor animal welfare record. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Coca-Cola some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.