Third Party Water Assessment

18 Sep 2006 23 Jan 2008
The scope of work is to undertake an independent assessment of Coca Cola (India)''s current water resources management practices. While doing so, the evaluation will also seek to ascertain the impact of pesticides on the quality of the intake water, if any, as well as the processes followed in ensuring quality by treating intake water during production of finished product.

It is proposed to constitute an independent Steering Committee to oversee the entire study and provide strategic direction to the assessment process. The Steering Committee would be comprised of broad based group of experts having in-depth knowledge of the issues involved in the assessment program. It is proposed that a group of environmental scientists, economists, socio economic experts from academia, NGO''s and bilateral/multilateral organisations may be constituted as the Steering Committee.

The third-party assessment will focus on two distinct levels: (i) Level 1: Corporate level assessment including assessment of TCCC policies, procedures, management systems, and compliance mechanisms relating to environmental protection and water resource management, and questionnaire based secondary data collection from sample Coca-Cola facilities in India consistent with item (ii); (ii) Level 2: Plant level on-site assessment at a select number of Coca-Cola facilities in India at an appropriate time after due diligence on the part of TERI and after consultation with the expert steering committee. This includes primary monitoring, surveys, interviews of the key personnel from the facilities, the community within the defined area (surrounding villages/panchayat/ward) and other stakeholders to address the relevant issues associated with water stewardship.