Transparency
At Coca-Cola South Pacific, we’ve continued our efforts to help address concerns around wellbeing.
We’ve listened and learned from the public health community, our customers, associates and consumers to understand the role we can play to support the fight against obesity in a way that is credible, transparent, and beneficial for everyone.
We're helping consumers moderate their consumption of sugar by removing sugar from our drinks, introducing more low-and no-sugar options and continuing to expand the availability of smaller packs.
As part of our transparent approach, we have made a commitment to annually disclose our investments to health and wellbeing scientific research or community partnerships.
Here you will find our financial report for Research and Partnerships along with Health Professionals and Scientific Experts over the last five years.
List of Research and Partnerships
| Title | Type | Organisation | Amount | Year |
| Exercise 4A/18 - A new direction for youth at risk* | Partnership | Operation Flinders Foundation Inc. | $16,500.00 | 2018 |
| Riding to Freedom* | Partnership | TAD | $13,430.00 | 2018 |
| 2018 Youth Snow Sports Camp* | Partnership | Cerebral Palsy Alliance | $20,842.00 | 2018 |
| 2 Deadly Treadlys* | Partnership | Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation | $25,000.00 | 2018 |
| Get STARTed!* | Partnership | START Foundation | $25,000.00 | 2018 |
| Evaluation of Sugar Reduction Trial* | Research | Western Sydney University | $74,940.00 | 2018 |
| Battle of the Border* | Partnership | Touch Football Specialised Inc. | $3,340.00 | 2017 |
| Expansion of Modified Rugby Program (MRP)-Colts* | Partnership | GingerCloud Foundation Ltd | $25,000.00 | 2017 |
| Improving Physical and Mental Health* | Partnership | Sports Challenge Australia | $25,000.00 | 2017 |
| Dance Unlimited* | Partnership | CPL – Choice, Passion, Life (Cerebral Palsy League Of Queensland) | AU$24,800 | 2016 |
| Snow Sports Camp* | Partnership | Cerebral Palsy Alliance | AU$22,452 | 2016 |
| Wheelchair Sports NSW 2017 Junior Wheelies' Christmas Camp* | Partnership | Wheelchair Sports New South Wales Incorporated | AU$11,544 | 2016 |
| Athlete Leadership Program* | Partnership | Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East | AU$10,000 | 2015 |
| Building youth buoyancy through blind swimming* | Partnership | Blind Sports and Recreation Victoria | AU$9,750 | 2015 |
| Empowering Young People* | Partnership | Communities @ Work | AU$9,900 | 2015 |
| Get Involved* | Partnership | Australian Paralympic Committee | AU$75,000 | 2015 |
| Hoop Dreams* | Partnership | E-Focus as Heidelberg Training and Resource Centre | AU$9,690 | 2015 |
| Junior Wheelchair Sports Program* | Partnership | Wheelchair Sports NSW | AU$9,858 | 2015 |
| L2R Dance Safari* | Partnership | L2R Next Gen Inc | AU$10,000 | 2015 |
| Project Re-Boot* | Partnership | Australian Circus and Physical Theatre Association | AU$10,000 | 2015 |
| South West Highschools (Bicycle) Tour* | Partnership | K-Equip Ltd | AU$10,000 | 2015 |
| The Shack Youth Services - Health and wellbeing program* | Partnership | Benevolent Society | AU$10,000 | 2015 |
| Research Agreement to support METEx Energy Balance research project, to investigate the effects of exercise intensity on diet, physical activity and body composition in participants with metabolic syndrome | Research | University of Qld | AU$110,473 | 2014-2015 |
| Bike Education Program* | Partnership | Frankston Special Development School | AU$10,000 | 2014 |
| Deadly Sista Girlz* | Partnership | The David Wirrpanda Foundation | AU$10,000 | 2014 |
| Fit Five* | Partnership | QLD Police Citizens Youth Welfare Assoc. (Beenleigh) | AU$10,000 | 2014 |
| Fremantle PCYC Streetball* | Partnership | The Federation of Western Australian Police and Community Youth Centres | AU$31,327 | 2014 |
| Get Involved* | Partnership | Australian Paralympic Committee | AU$75,000 | 2014 |
| Healthy Lives* | Partnership | St Laurence | AU$7,900 | 2014 |
| Living the Dream - Sports Based Mentoring Program Dandenong* | Partnership | Living the Dream Foundation | AU$20,000 | 2014 |
| Nutrition Society of Australia Annual Conference | Partnership | Nutrition Society of Australia | AU$11,700 | 2014 |
| Street Health* | Partnership | Ted Noffs Foundation | AU$10,000 | 2014 |
| Development, project management and evaluation of Happiness Cycle program | Partnership | Bicycle Network | AU$345,000 | 2013-2015 |
List of Health Professionals and Scientific Experts
The total amount spent for the Company to work with Health Professionals and Scientific Experts over the last five years is $75,102.43. Fees were provided for travel grants, related expenses and professional fees.
| Scientific Expert or Health Professional | Descriptor |
|---|---|
| Glenn Cardwell AdvAPD | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council 2013-2014 and Paper Review 2015** |
| Professor Peter Clifton | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council 2010-2014 and Paper Review 2015** |
| Bernadette Drummond | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council and Paper Review 2015** |
| Professor Paul Nestel | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council 2010-2014 and Paper Review 2015** |
| Zoe Wilson APD | Nutrition contributor website 2015 |
| Erin Mahoney | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council 2010-2014** |
| Dr Nancy J Rehrer | Member of Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council 2010-2014** |
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the purpose of this page?
This page is an important step forward for Coca-Cola South Pacific to transparently share its financial support of health and wellbeing scientific research and partnerships, including community health and wellbeing programs.
2. Why are you releasing this information?
We understand people have questions about our support of research and partnerships related to health and wellbeing and we are delivering on our timeline as publicly reported. The sharing of our financial support of health and wellbeing scientific research and partnerships was the first step in our broader efforts to be even more transparent. We update this information for Australia every 12 months.
3. What other actions will The Coca-Cola Company be taking toward greater transparency of its partnerships and research?
The sharing of our financial support of health and wellbeing scientific research and partnerships each year is part of our effort to be transparent. We provide yearly updates on our funding of wellbeing scientific research and partnerships that meet the inclusion criteria. We evaluate all future investments in health and wellbeing related programs and research to ensure that any financial support provided is in accordance with our Guiding Principles.
4. What does the word “partnership” mean in this list?
For purposes of this list, we use the term ‘partnership’ in an informal sense, referring to our relationship with entities based in Australia that have received funding from Coca-Cola South Pacific or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to support their health and wellbeing programs and communications activities conducted in Australia in the last five years. In addition to this we have also included community partnerships that have received funding through our and Coca-Cola Amatil (Aust) Pty Ltd’s shared philanthropic arm, the Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, related to health and wellbeing programs.
5. Does Coca-Cola South Pacific conduct research on health and wellbeing?
Coca-Cola South Pacific does not conduct its own research on health and wellbeing. We support research efforts by independent and respected research institutions and universities.
Research partners are expected to:
- conduct research that is factual, transparent, and designed objectively;
- generate an appropriately-phrased hypothesis and to conduct research that will answer relevant questions, rather than favour a particular outcome;
- have full control of the study design and execution and the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data;
- be encouraged to publish; and
- disclose their funding sources in all publications and public presentations of the data.
Under no circumstances does Coca-Cola South Pacific have the right to prevent the publication of research results (nor does the company provide funding conditioned on the outcome of the research).
6. Why does Coca-Cola South Pacific fund research?
Coca-Cola South Pacific funds the research we have listed on our website to explore questions that have been raised about our products, improve our understanding of the role our drinks play in people’s diets and better understand how we can make positive changes to how we produce and sell our products.
Coca-Cola South Pacific also funds other research so we can best inform our business and consumers about our ingredients, products, and packaging.
7. What is included in your research listing? Why did you exclude some research?
We have included research funding provided by Coca-Cola South Pacific or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to entities based in Australia for research relating to dietary intake, nutrition, and health, or to physical activity. We have excluded research by entities not based in Australia and not funded by The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters. Also excluded are research on ingredients, packaging, products, or brands that is not related to dietary intake, nutrition, and health, or to physical activity, and research and development on new ingredients, packaging, products, or brands.
8. When you publish your funding efforts on your website, what assurance do we have that the list is complete?
We have made a good-faith effort to disclose all funding that meets the inclusion criteria. If we have inadvertently omitted something that meets those criteria, we will disclose it in one of our future updates, which we are providing every 12 months.
9. Why didn’t you include funding of experts or organisations that you worked with outside of Australia? How can I find out how much you paid to them?
This site lists funding provided by Coca-Cola South Pacific or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to entities and individuals based in Australia. If Coca-Cola Australia has also worked with experts who are either from the U.S. or funded by the U.S. corporate headquarters, they are listed on the U.S. website http://transparency.coca-colacompany.com/health-professionals-and-scientific-experts.
10. Do you expect the organisations that receive financial support from Coca-Cola to endorse your products?
No. Funding is provided on an unconditional basis and is provided to support the mission and goals of the organisation.
11. What else are you doing to help tackle the issue of obesity?
We realise that obesity is a serious issue that impacts individuals, families and communities around the world and we have a role to play in supporting the wellbeing of Australians.
It’s for this reason in 2017 we announced our goal to reduce the sugar content across the entire portfolio by 10 per cent by 2020. We announced a further goal of 20% by 2025 along with the Australian beverage industry.
We will continue to work on ways to help Australians manage their sugar intake while enjoying our drinks. You can find out how at https://www.coca-colacompany.com/our-way-forward
12. When do you update these disclosures?
Coca-Cola South Pacific will update the disclosure register annually.
Definitions
*Indicates funding from The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation.
**The Coca-Cola South Pacific Health & Wellness Advisory Council ran from 2004 to 2014 to provide independent evidence based counsel to Coca-Cola Australia on health & wellness issues. Members responsibilities included ongoing scientific reviews on health issues relating to beverages and promoting health lifestyles; involvement in CCSP webinars and conferences, advise on consumer education initiatives and materials that promote a healthy and active lifestyle, research expertise on framework for CCSP research projects and insight and feedback in relation to new product developments and nutrition guidelines and nutrition communications.
Under our contracts with certain organisations, we are obligated to obtain the organisation’s permission to make disclosures like those above. We have made a good faith effort to obtain permission from these organisations.
Our Approach to Funding Scientific Research –
For all the health and well-being research funding disclosed below, the researchers:
· are expected to conduct research that is factual, transparent, and designed objectively;
· are expected to generate an appropriately phrased hypothesis and to conduct research that will answer the relevant questions, rather than favour a particular outcome;
· have full control of the study design, the execution, and the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data;
· are encouraged to publish; and
· are expected to disclose their funding sources in all publications and public presentations of the data.
In no event does Coca-Cola South Pacific Pty Ltd (CCSP) have the right to prevent the publication of research results. Nor does CCSP provide funding conditioned on the outcome of the research.
We have made a good-faith effort to disclose all the funding that meets the inclusion criteria. If we have unintentionally omitted something that meets those criteria, we will disclose it in one of our future updates, which we plan to provide every twelve months.
Research and Partnerships Included:
1. Funding provided by CCSP or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to entities based in Australia for research relating to dietary intake, nutrition, and health, or to physical activity; and
2. Funding provided by CCSP, The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to entities based in Australia for health and well-being programs and communications activities conducted in Australia
Research and Partnerships Excluded:
1. Research by entities not based in Australia and not funded by CCSP or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters;
2. Programs and activities conducted outside Australia and not funded by CCSP, The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, or by The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters;
3. Research on ingredients, packaging, products, or brands that is not related to dietary intake, nutrition, and health, or to physical activity;
4. Research and development on new ingredients, packaging, products, or brands; and
5. Payments to third-party service providers for media services, advertising, and logistics in support of the “Partnerships” for Health and Well-Being Programs and Communications Activities listed.
For purposes of this list, we use the term ‘partnership’ in an informal sense, referring to our relationship with entities based in Australia that have received funding from CCSP, The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation, or The Coca-Cola Company’s U.S. corporate headquarters to support their health and well-being programs and communications activities conducted in Australia from January 2014-2010.
Timeframe: 1 January 2014 through 31 December 2018. Amounts for January 2019 and forward will be disclosed in a future update.
Currency: all amounts are disclosed in AUS excluding GST. Where amounts have been converted from other currencies to AUS this has been done using an average annual aggregated exchange rate for the year in which the payment was made.
Coca-Cola Australia has also worked with experts who are either from the U.S. or funded by the U.S. corporate headquarters. They are listed on the U.S. website http://transparency.coca-colacompany.com/health-professionals-and-scientific-experts. The funding provided for their work will be listed on the U.S. website as part of the six month update.
The listing of an individual –
1. Does not imply that he/she currently has any relationship with The Coca-Cola Company; and 2. Implies no endorsement of The Coca-Cola Company or its products.
The aggregate amount of funding provided to individuals we have worked with in the past who have declined to have their names listed is approximately $4,233.37.