Coca-Cola (Coke)
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
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.
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.
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).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
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).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
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).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
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).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
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
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Voting History
Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4/25/23 | Governance | Clean Yield Asset Management | Report on Political Spending Values Congruency | Against | 29.10% |
4/25/23 | Governance | National Legal and Policy Center | Require Two Seperate People Hold the Offices of Chairman and CEO | Against | 19.80% |
4/25/23 | Social | SEIU Master Trust | Audit of the Company's Impact on Non-White Stakeholders | Against | 16.50% |
4/25/23 | Governance | Harrington Investments, Inc. | Report on All Global Influence Spending | Against | 13.60% |
4/25/23 | Social | As You Sow | Report Risks to Company From State Restrictions on Reproductive Rights and Planned Corporate Response | Against | 13.10% |
4/26/22 | Governance | National Legal and Policy Center | Require Independent Board Chair | Against | 27.79% |
4/26/22 | Social | John Harrington | Report on Global Public Policy and Political Influence | Against | 12.69% |
4/26/22 | Social | Newground Social Investment | Report on External Public Health Costs | Against | 11.33% |
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Coca-Cola (Coke)