[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Coca-Cola has been selected as an official sponsor of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27), which opens on November 6 (local time) in Egypt, sparking controversy. Critics argue that Coca-Cola, one of the main contributors to climate change, is unqualified as a sponsor and that its involvement could undermine the significance of COP27.
According to the BBC on the 4th (local time), Egypt, the host country of COP27, signed an official sponsorship agreement with Coca-Cola last week, which has since triggered backlash from environmental groups.
Steve Trent, CEO of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), stated that Coca-Cola’s sponsorship contract contradicts the purpose of COP27 and urged the Egyptian government to cancel the sponsorship agreement.
Environmental groups argue that Coca-Cola is unqualified as a COP27 sponsor because it is a major emitter of plastic made from fossil fuels.
The environmental group Break Free From Plastic named Coca-Cola the world’s number one plastic polluter for four consecutive years from 2018 to last year.
Coca-Cola disclosed in 2019 that it uses 3 million tons of plastic annually for product packaging. Currently, 99% of the plastic produced worldwide is derived from fossil fuels.
Last year, the UK, the host country of COP26, banned sponsorships from fossil fuel-related companies.
Upon signing the sponsorship agreement with Egypt, Coca-Cola stated that its COP27 sponsorship aims to support collective efforts to address climate change and pledged to increase its efforts to combat climate change.
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