The Coca-Cola Foundation

Just over 10 years ago, The Rivers Trust and The Coca-Cola Foundation in Great Britain started a partnership centred around water. Both organisations are now looking towards the future as they continue their commitment to improve the health of rivers and freshwater environments.

The Rivers Trust movement supports wild healthy rivers, valued by all, and works with communities to build resilient river catchments. Resilient catchments are better equipped to manage water stresses and adapt to climate change. The Coca-Cola Foundation and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) are committed to taking a genuine leadership role on the responsible water management, fostering knowledge exchange, and setting ambitious targets to make a real, tangible impact.

Since its inception, the partnership’s work has focused on several distinct and diverse, water management and environmental conservation projects, including some in the communities located near to the company’s manufacturing and bottling facilities in the UK. All had a common purpose of conserving and enhancing freshwater environments and each project aimed to improve water quality, reduce flood risk, store carbon, enhance habitat and biodiversity, as well as promote the health and well-being of local communities.

The projects have been carried out by member Trusts within The Rivers Trust movement, such as Thames21, South East Rivers Trust, Northumberland Rivers Trust, as well as partner NGOs such as Kent Wildlife Trust. These partnerships have enabled the successful delivery of nature-based solutions through local collaboration that has improved the quality and resilience of their local catchments.

Over the past decade, the partnership has achieved remarkable milestones, including:

• Establishing 171 wetlands, scrapes and ponds which provide natural habitats for wildlife, improving water quality, and reduce flood risk.
• Implementing innovative solutions, to capture run-off therefore diverting it from urban based rivers.
• Restoring an ancient coastal fen (peat) land, revitalising the unique ecosystem, and preserving a large area of natural heritage.
• Engaging with 437 individual farms to deliver advice and support on water sensitive farming practices.