Well not alone they can’t, but they are making a run at it. In an AJC article today, Craig Simons highlights Coke’s plans to buy 100,000 new beverage coolers that work using compressed carbon dioxide as opposed to hydrofluorocarbons. Given that these flourocarbons are 1000 times more potent as greenhouse gases than is carbon dioxide, this is a significant step for one of the Atlanta region’s major international corporations.
While speaking at a lecture in Beijing organized by Greenpeace, Coke’s CEO Neville Isdell said, “We cannot wait for consumers or governments or technologies or price to move us towards sustainable solutions … so we’re doing what we can within our own business.”
These coolers cost about 25 percent more than the current industry standard. So, Mr. Isdell and Coke are to be congratulated for going to the extra expense to help protect the environment we all share.
But there is more that can be done. Coke replaces 1 million refrigeration units annually. With that kind of buying power, Coke is poised to help drive down the cost of these environmentally friendlier coolers. Hopefully, other corporations will follow suit.
Coke isn’t a perfect company, but it’s adding its waves to a ripple effect that might one day lead to a more sustainable world.
