The Coca-Cola Company to Receive 2009 World Environment Center Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The World Environment Center’s (WEC) Twenty-Fifth Annual Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development has been awarded to The Coca-Cola Company for implementing strategic business initiatives in the high impact areas of water stewardship, sustainable packaging, energy management and climate protection.

“returning to nature and communities an amount of water equal to what it uses in all of its beverages and their production”

Coca-Cola’s Signature Contribution, “returning to nature and communities an amount of water equal to what it uses in all of its beverages and their production”, was cited by the independent international Gold Medal Jury as an exceptional demonstration of leadership in sustainability. Based on reducing and recycling the water used in manufacturing, and replenishing water as a vital resource, the efforts are yielding important social, environmental, and economic benefits.

Muhtar Kent, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Coca-Cola Company said: “We are very pleased to be recognized with this important international award. Together with our bottling partners around the world, we have made a deep commitment to managing and preserving our water resources. This recognition from the World Environment Center gives us confidence that we are heading in the right direction.”

“It is a great honor for the jury to name The Coca-Cola Company as the 25^th recipient of the prestigious Gold Medal Award. The company’s outstanding contributions in providing safe water for communities around the world set the standard for others to follow” said the Gold Medal Jury Chairman Dr. Joel Abrams, Professor Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh.

The WEC Gold Medal Award will be presented to The Coca-Cola Company at the 25^th Gold Medal Presentation gala on Friday, May 8, 2009 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kent will accept the award on behalf of the company and its employees.

The World Environment Center Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development was established in 1985 to recognize top industry initiatives in global environmental excellence and sustainable development.

The WEC Gold Medal Jury is independent of the WEC and its programs, and is composed of international leaders from academia, government, and non-governmental organizations and retired industry professionals.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®, vitaminwater, POWERade®, Minute Maid® and Georgia® Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of 1.5 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.

About World Environment Center

The World Environment Center (WEC) is an independent, non-profit, non-advocacy organization whose mission is to advance sustainable development through the business practices of its member companies in partnership with government and other stakeholders. WEC's activities and operations are global in scope, and it is unique in providing direct, on-the-ground support to companies to improve their performance, and that of their business partners, across the value chain.

Recent recipients of the WEC Gold Medal Award are: Marks & Spencer (2008), Alcan Inc (2007), ABN AMRO Bank (2006), Starbucks (2005), Johnson Controls Inc. (2004), Ricoh Group Ltd. (2003) and CEMEX (2002).