The FINANCIAL — Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. said it plans to cut its calories per liter 10% by 2020 as consumers continue a shift toward more healthy beverage options, according to Nasdaq.
The world’s one of the largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers, which bottles Coca-Cola Co. products for countries including Great Britain, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, said the move was a reaction to growing concerns about obesity.
The new goals are influenced by strong stakeholder feedback, said the company’s director of corporate responsibility, Joe Franses. The company also plans to halve its carbon footprint by 2020, having already reduced its by 29%, in absolute terms, since 2007.
Sales of soft drinks have been falling for years as consumers scale back amid concerns about health. Soda consumption in the U.S. slid 1% in 2014 to 12.76 billion gallons, the 10th straight yearly decline, according to a March report by industry tracker Beverage Marketing Corp.
Shares of Coca-Cola Enterprises, inactive premarket, have been down about 3% this year through Monday’s close.
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