Coca-cola to pour Bt100m into water

Coca-Cola (Thailand) is to spend more than Bt100 million in a two-year water-preservation campaign that is expected to involve about 2.5 million people throughout the country.

Called "Raknam", the corporate social-responsibility (CSR) campaign will be conducted with the help of government agencies, non-profit organisations and local communities.

It will aim to create public awareness, education and action on sustainable water management. It will focus on plant performance, watershed protection, community water initiatives and creating awareness and action.

Coca-Cola Foundation Thailand vice chairman Pornwut Sarasin

said Raknam would be a crucial campaign, reflecting Coca-Cola's strong commitment to social responsibility.

"Coca-Cola is a water business, and the idea of water preservation is in our DNA. It is in all our production processes, from the use of fresh water to water treatment," he said.

"Water is fundamental to all life, fundamental to all communities and fundamental to our business as a beverage company.

"We are therefore focusing our resources and CSR partnerships on the conservation and management of water. Over the next two years, the Raknam campaign is expected to encourage and enable over 2.5 million people around the country to conserve and manage water resources in a sustainable way."

He said Coca-Cola's vision for the campaign was one of helping to create sustainable communities. "We recognise that the sustainability of our business is deeply interconnected with the sustainability of the communities we serve."

Pornwut stressed the importance of Coca-Cola's partnerships in the campaign with government agencies, non-profit organisations and local communities because, he said, environmental challenges were too critical and complex for any one party to address alone.

Employees of Coca-Cola will also have active roles in the campaign as they will be invited to volunteer their working hours to support the company's CSR projects.

"Working together, we can create a multiplier effect that helps build sustainable communities and addresses the issues confronting our planet," Pornwut said. "That's the CSR journey we are on."