Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Qatari Foreign Ministry spox: Mediators say agreement reached on all terms of first phase of Gaza ceasefire.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spox: Mediators say Gaza ceasefire to include end of war, release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, and entry of aid.
Trump: Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace.
Trump: Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.
Hamas chief Khalil Al-Hayya is meeting with Egypt's intelligence head to add finishing touches to Gaza agreement: Source
Israeli media: The ceasefire will begin tomorrow at 12:00 PM.
Israeli media, citing officials: The agreement will be signed today, and the release of the first batch of hostages will take place on Saturday or Sunday.
Palestinian Resistance sources to Al Mayadeen: Hamas and the factions have officially approved the deal. Trump was notified while he was live on air.
Palestinian Resistance sources to Al Mayadeen: Hamas has agreed to the deal, which will be signed on Thursday in Egypt.
Trump: We are very close to an agreement in the Middle East.

Coca-Cola faces outrage over sponsorship of COP27 climate conference

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Oct 2022 15:43
4 Min Read

Environmental campaign spokesperson: "It’s astounding that a company so tied to the fossil fuel industry is allowed to sponsor such a vital climate meeting.”

  • x
  • The beverage manufacturer is an official sponsor of COP27 (LinkedIn)
    The beverage manufacturer is an official sponsor of COP27 (LinkedIn)

This year's UN climate conference, known as the COP27, struck a sponsorship with Coca-Cola, which has been labeled as the “world’s top polluter” by environmentalists. The event has been accused of 'greenwashing' by campaigners. 

“Coca-Cola sponsoring the Cop27 is pure ‘greenwash’. Coca-Cola is one of the world’s biggest users of plastic.", said Emma Priestland, the coordinator for Break Free From Plastic, which is a global coalition of organizations and individuals fighting for the environment, who added: "Over four years, we’ve found Coca-Cola to be the world’s top plastic polluter in our annual brand audits... it’s astounding that a company so tied to the fossil fuel industry is allowed to sponsor such a vital climate meeting.”

Sponsorships by corporations for the COP events have caused controversy and confusion among environmental campaigners, with a petition already initiated in the last COP in Glasgow for the removal of the soft drink company from the list of sponsors. Oceans campaign director at Greenpeace USA, John Hocevar, commented: “It is baffling that Coca-Cola – the world’s biggest plastic polluter in all global Break Free From Plastic brand audits – will sponsor this year’s UNFCCC Conference of Parties in Egypt. Coca-Cola produces 120bn throwaway plastic bottles a year – and 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, worsening both the plastic and climate crisis". 

During the signing ceremony of the cooperation at the foreign ministry in Cairo, Coca-Cola’s vice-president of operations for North Africa, Ahmad Rady said: “Coca-Cola’s firm belief that working together through meaningful partnerships will create shared opportunities for communities and people around the world and in Egypt.” This came as a shock to both environmentalists and social media as it would be ironic for a corporation that is known to be one of the world's biggest plastic producers to support a global event aiming to tackle the climate crisis that corporations like itself and others have caused.

  • The signing ceremony of the sponsorship (Zawya.com)
    The signing ceremony of the sponsorship (Zawya.com)

Related News

UN calls on shipping industry to cut emissions

Saudi green strategy not viable, fails to address climate crisis

Hocevar urged that “they have yet to even acknowledge that this is a problem or explain how they will meet their climate goals without ending their plastic addiction. This partnership undermines the very objective of the event it seeks to sponsor.”

Ironically as well, just days ago, the UK was warned by Egypt against “backtracking from the global climate agenda”, in a significant intervention prompted by fears over Liz Truss’s commitment to net zero. 

Unilever was the main partner at last year's COP26 while AG Barr, manufacturer of Irn-Bru, was the main soft drink and water supplier at two convention centers in Glasgow during the conference which included surprise support from US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she was handed a can by the Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

Sponsorship of COP26 was said to have been worth about £250m ($248m), with other endorsements from firms like Sky, Hitachi, National Grid, ScottishPower, Microsoft, NatWest, Sainsbury’s, and Unilever.

In response to the widespread criticism of the recent Coca-Cola said: “We share the goal of eliminating waste from the ocean and appreciate efforts to raise awareness about this challenge. We are prepared to do our part and have set ambitious goals for our business, starting with helping to collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone we sell – regardless of where it comes from – by 2030. In 2020 we signed a joint statement urging United Nations member states to adopt a global treaty to tackle the plastic waste issue through a holistic, circular economy approach … Our support for Cop27 is in line with our science-based target to reduce absolute carbon emissions by 25% by 2030, and our ambition for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

However, Hocevar said: “Cutting plastic production and ending single-use plastic is in line with the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. If Coca-Cola really wants to solve the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to turn off its plastics tap.”

The world’s main forum for heads of governments, businesses, and environmental organizations to discuss and find solutions for the anthropogenic climate emergency, is due to be held in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh from November 6-18.

  • COP27
  • Sharm El-Sheikh
  • Egypt
  • Climate change
  • greenpeace
  • Climate crisis
  • Coca-Cola

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
The Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza showed that after combating Israeli aggression for two years, they remain victorious in the face of oppression (Mahdi Rteil/Al Mayadeen English)

Al-Aqsa Flood two years on, a tale of victory

  • Politics
  • 6 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
An Israeli armored vehicle moves on a street of a local market during a military raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth near Ramallah amid raids

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran interested in resuming nuclear talks: Lavrov

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a news conference at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, April 25, 2025 (AP)
Politics

IMF head flags US budget, Europe Defense spending challenges

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)
Politics

Meloni faces ICC complaint over Gaza genocide complicity with Israelis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS