Coca-Cola (Coke)

Minute Maid, Sprite
Georgia
Food Beverage and Tobacco

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Coca-Cola Co. has demonstrated a willingness to terminate relationships with organizations based on ideology and required unconstitutional diversity mandates from vendors and suppliers. Coca-Cola scored a 100 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. By complying with Human Rights Campaign's controversial demands, Coca-Cola increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children and provides specific sexual orientation and gender identity-based benefits. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. Coca-Cola forces employees to undergo multiple ideological trainings and uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. Coca-Cola is part of GARM. The company is a founding member of PGLE, a corporate partner of the NGLCC, and pledged $4 million to BLM and related causes. Coca-Cola denounced local legislative efforts to reform election security and protect the unborn and will not give to faith-based charities. Coca-Cola is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism, and is committed to carbon neutrality by 2040. Coca-Cola donated to the Equality PAC and lobbies for ideological purposes. For these reasons, Coca-Cola Company receives a High Risk rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola terminated its relationship with the American Legislative Exchange Council in 2012 after Color of Change boycotted the organization (1). Coca-Cola is a member of GARM, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” (2)(3)(4). Coca-Cola received a score of 100 on the 2023 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruit’s employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (5)(6)

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola‘s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola‘s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). Coca-Cola also sent out a letter to all of its law firms demanding that they meet its demands for at least 30% of billable hours going to “diverse” hires (3). The company hosted employee training that encouraged employees to “be less white” and promoted aspects of critical race theory (4). Coca-Cola does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola‘s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy (1)(2). By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Coca-Cola’s PGLE membership reflects its commitment to “operationalize” company coverage of transgender surgery and treatment, the vetting of business partners based on LGBTQ+ policies, and the financial support of LGBTQ organizations on a global level (3)(4)(5). The company signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act, and opposed SB202 (6)(7)(8). Coca-Cola also denounced the Religious Freedom Restoration Act legislation in Georgia in 2016 and the heartbeat bill in 2019 (9)(10). CEO James Quincey is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders and customers (11)(12). Coca-Cola is a Ceres Network Member, committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2040 (13)(14).

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola‘s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Coca-Cola pledged $4 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, including the Anti-Defamation League (3)(4)(5). The company is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (6)(7)(8). Coca-Cola donated to GLAAD and is a corporate partner of the NGLCC (9)(10). The company is a founding member of the PGLE (11).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
Rationale

Coca-Cola‘s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Coca-Cola donated to the Equality PAC and has lobbied for the Equality Act (3)(4)(5).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2024

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
4/25/23GovernanceClean Yield Asset ManagementReport on Political Spending Values CongruencyAgainst29.10%
4/25/23GovernanceNational Legal and Policy CenterRequire Two Seperate People Hold the Offices of Chairman and CEOAgainst19.80%
4/25/23SocialSEIU Master TrustAudit of the Company's Impact on Non-White StakeholdersAgainst16.50%
4/25/23GovernanceHarrington Investments, Inc.Report on All Global Influence SpendingAgainst13.60%
4/25/23SocialAs You SowReport Risks to Company From State Restrictions on Reproductive Rights and Planned Corporate ResponseAgainst13.10%
4/26/22GovernanceNational Legal and Policy CenterRequire Independent Board ChairAgainst27.79%
4/26/22SocialJohn HarringtonReport on Global Public Policy and Political InfluenceAgainst12.69%
4/26/22SocialNewground Social InvestmentReport on External Public Health CostsAgainst11.33%

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