We submitted these questions with our partners at the Coca-Cola 2021 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting — and the corporation neglected to answer them.
2020 was a crucial year for the Company and the world. In the light of a global pandemic, emerging health and socioeconomic inequities, rampant racial injustices, as well as assaults on our democracy we are seeing take place now, what steps will the Company take to stop fueling voter suppression activities and exacerbating health inequities, by once and for all discontinuing its giving and support to politicians and organizations that are undermining our democracy and our health? John Stewart, Corporate Accountability
The Company continues to claim that it excels in disclosing its ESG related activities–from political giving to research funding–although, we continue to find major gaps in company’s disclosures and transparency measures, especially when it comes to giving to politicians, policy-makers, front groups, and science globally. The Company still only discloses these activities in only a handful of countries that too in a limited form, while its products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories. When and how will the company become fully transparent and accountable to the people, its shareholders, and its consumers about all its political and scientific activities across all its markets? –Keltie Vance, Corporate Accountability
Given that Coca-Cola’s political activities have led to the undermining of voting rights and efforts to suppress the Black vote, when will the corporation take action to sever ties with groups and trade associations like the Chamber of Commerce and elected officials that want to make it harder for Americans to vote? – Lucy Martinez Sullivan, Feed the Truth
The National Restaurant Association has existed since emancipation of slavery with the top priority of suppressing wages for working people. They’ve been so successful that the federal subminimum wage for tipped workers – 70% of whom are women – is still only $2.13/hour, leading to the highest rates of sexual harassment in any industry, the highest reliance on public assistance, and seven of the ten lowest paying jobs in the country – this is a workforce of almost 14 million people. When will the Company stop supporting this legacy of slavery and remove support for the National Restaurant Association? – Mikey Knab, One Fair Wage
