Controversial election of Coca-Cola, one of the major plastics producers, as sponsor of COP27

“Through COP27, Coca-Cola intends to support collective action against climate change,” said Michael Goltsman, the company’s global vice president of public policy and sustainability.

However, opposition to the decision has grown due to the multinational companies’ association with plastic pollution. Activists accuse the company of “greenwashing” (to look more environmentally friendly) and more 5,000 people have already signed a petition in which they are requesting the cancellation of the guarantee.

In 2019, Coca-Cola admitted that it had used 3 million tons of plastic containers annually.

Plastic, which is found on all continents and in the oceans, is a major source of pollution. Its production also contributes to global warming.

Today, 99% of the world’s plastic is produced from fossil fuels in a process called “cracking” that produce greenhouse gas emissions and lead to climate change.

And in 2021, an audit by the Global Alliance to End Plastic Pollution, titled Break Free From Plastic, launched Coca-Cola as the number one polluter of plastic. number one in the world.

“This decision by the COP27 presidency goes against the purpose of the conference,” said Mohammad Ahmadi of the environmental organization Earth Uprising International.

This view was echoed by Steve Trent, CEO of the Environmental Justice Foundation, who asked Egypt backtrack.

Neither the Egyptian presidency of COP27 nor the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) responded to BBC requests for comment on the sponsorship deal.

Last year, when the British government organized climate talks in Scotland, Banned fossil fuel companies You will sponsor the event.

“Coca-Cola’s business model is entirely based on fossil fuels. They make promises to improve recycling They never metTrent complained.

Coca-Cola told the BBC it had realized it had to do more: “While we’ve made progress on our goals for a world without waste, we have also committed to Do more and faster“.

Environmental activists fear that the company’s involvement could affect the negotiations.

“When polluters dominate the climate conversations, We did not get good results. Nyobi Morris, Ugandan activist and ambassador for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said:

Last year, the BBC revealed the impact of Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution on remote communities around the world. In response, the company said it remains committed to “collecting and recycling one bottle or can for every bottle we sell by 2030.”

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