The Soft Drinks Industry Sustainability Strategy was launched in June 2008 and set out the industry ambitions and challenges over the next few years, focusing on four key areas:
The first progress report provides an update on achievements made to date through case studies and industry-wide progress. During the lunch, Paul Moody welcomed Roger White, CEO of AG Barr, as the new BSDA vice president. In his speech, the president also congratulated the industry on its achievements, highlighting the progress it had made in terms of its environmental record, its resilience in the current economic climate and its continued ability to innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences and needs.
“The soft drinks industry depends on a continual stream of new ideas, covering all aspects of our business,” said BSDA president and Britvic chief executive, Paul Moody.
“The confidence that our consumers have in our products gives us the opportunity to innovate,” he added. “The way in which tastes are changing gives us the need to do so. We’re not just part of the food and drink industry, we’re also in many ways one of the nation’s creative industries. Design and invention are the heart of what we do. This relentless focus on innovation over the recent history of the industry has been instrumental in modernising the category and providing substantial choice for our consumers.”
Commenting on the sustainability progress report, Jill Ardagh, director general of BSDA, said: “This progress report highlights the achievements being made by soft drinks manufacturers to further improve their environmental record and shows that the industry, as a collective, is committed to creating a sustainable future for the soft drinks industry.
“As an industry, there’s more to be done to ensure we live up to the ambitions set out in the sustainability strategy. Encouragingly, this report shows the steps already taken to meet the four key industry ambitions and provides a positive path forward for continued progress.”
The BSDA industry lunch is a key event in the soft drinks calendar. This year’s keynote speaker was Paul White, director of The Social Marketing Practice, who highlighted the huge role business can play in sustainable behaviour change and the importance of partnerships with the public sector and the NGO community.
View the PDF report here.
Source: BSDA
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