Nina Elezović: Sustainability requires concrete actions and measurable results

Sustainability has become a principle crucial for shaping our shared future, especially in the light of significant global changes in climate and biodiversity. It is an increasingly urgent field for translating words into actions. What would you highlight as the most significant achievements in the context of sustainability over the past year?

As always, the challenges we face at the level of a single company, a country, and society as a whole are complex and interconnected. This means that, more than ever, addressing them requires the collaboration and cooperation of all stakeholders. Last year marked a turning point in sustainability— the European Union adopted the new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This directive not only imposes stricter standards for companies in terms of sustainability reporting but also lays a solid foundation for the transition to a sustainable global economy.

When we talk about sustainability, it is evident that attention is no longer focused solely on environmental protection. We are increasingly discussing social issues, such as human rights, employee relations, and gender equality, which is extremely important and encouraging. Sustainability is not just an ecological concept but an integrated one, and only in this form can it bring full benefits. Topics such as climate change, recycling, and water resource protection remain high on our strategic agenda, as every step we take to reduce emissions, every bottle we recycle, and every drop of water we save is part of our broader strategy for a better tomorrow.

Reflecting on the achievements in sustainability over the past year, in which area have you made the most progress?

We recently published our 11th Sustainability Report, and the 4th to include data from Bambi. Considering the summarized results, we can genuinely be proud of every step we have taken on the path to sustainability. We have reduced direct CO2 emissions by 73% compared to 2017, the first year in which we began systematically measuring them. This progress has been aided by our decision to source all the electricity for Coca-Cola HBC Serbia's bottling plants and the Bambi factory from renewable sources, as well as the gradual transition to a lower-emission vehicle fleet and ongoing process optimizations in production and packaging.

We treat water resources as a precious element of life and our business, ensuring their conservation by reducing usage. Today, compared to 2007, we use half as much water for one liter of our beverage, and nearly 60% less energy. We also collaborate with suppliers who adopt sustainable practices. For example, more than half of the aluminum and cardboard in our production is recycled, as well as about 46% of the glass we use. Additionally, 8% of the total PET portfolio we place on the market is made from recycled PET packaging, thus giving bottles a new life.

What are your plans and key priorities in this area in the coming period? Do you plan to focus on any new areas or initiatives?

Our priorities remain defined by the Mission 2025. To recap, these include reducing emissions, water management, sustainable packaging, responsible sourcing, nutrition, and people and communities. In these areas, as a company, we have made a significant impact over many years, but I believe we can make an even greater contribution to water protection, and we are already working intensively with partners on this.

We know that every action we take today is a step towards a better tomorrow and a better world for future generations.