|
Home--News
University of Michigan Reinstates Coca-Cola Contract Prematurely
Allows Coca-Cola Funded Group to Design Investigation
For Immediate Release
April 12, 2006
Contact:
Amit Srivastava, India Resource Center T: +1 415 336 7584 (US) E:
info@IndiaResource.org
San Francisco (April 12, 2006): The University of
Michigan has acted prematurely and recklessly in reinstating Coca-Cola's
contract with the university.
On April 11, the University of Michigan accepted a proposal from the
Coca-Cola company which ostensibly paves the way for a third party,
independent investigation into the issues surrounding Coca-Cola in
India and Colombia.
The Coca-Cola company has proposed that an organization in India that
it funds and sponsors, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI),
"develop a transparent and impartial independent third party assessment
of water resource management practices at Coca-Cola company facilities
in India," according to the company's letter to the university.
The University took just one day to study Coca-Cola's proposal, and
did not consult with the student coalition who have led the campaign
at the university or any groups affiliated with the campaign who have
engaged with the university in the past.
Reinstating Coca-Cola's contract does not absolve the Coca-Cola company
of the crimes it is accused of in India- creating severe water shortages,
polluting water and land around its bottling plants, distributing
toxic waste to farmers, and selling drinks in India with extremely
high levels of pesticides.
"Accepting Coca-Cola's recommendation that TERI - a group that is
sponsored and funded by Coca-Cola - develop the independent, third
party assessment of water issues in India is baffling," said Amit
Srivastava of the India Resource Center, an international campaigning
organization working directly with communities in India affected by
Coca-Cola's practices.
"Communities in India welcome an investigation into Coca-Cola's practices
in India. In fact, we expect a rigorous investigation by a prestigious
university like the University of Michigan. But allowing TERI, which
clearly has a mutually beneficial relationship with Coca-Cola, is
neither fair, independent or third party. By agreeing to Coca-Cola's
choice of the group in India to develop the investigation, the University
of Michigan is making a mockery of the concerns being raised by communities
in India," said Srivastava.
Coca-Cola India Sponsoring TERI Conference
in 2005 |
|
The Coca-Cola company in India has been implicated by state government
authorities for causing severe pollution around its bottling plant
in southern India, and government authorities have also found steep
drops in groundwater levels in northern India since Coca-Cola started
operations.
"The University of Michigan need only look at the rulings against
the company by government authorities in India, which has effectively
shut down one of the company's largest bottling plants in India, to
conclude that Coca-Cola engages in unethical practices. By allowing
Coca-Cola to choose its investigator, the University of Michigan is
conceding that Coca-Cola is not bound to abide by or come under the
authorized structures of any country and are above national laws and
authorities," said C.R. Bijoy of the People's Union for Civil Liberties.
Research into the relationship between TERI and Coca-Cola raises serious
questions about TERI's ability to develop a third party, independent
assessment:
- Coca-Cola India is an active funder of TERI in India, and Coca-Cola
India Limited is an official sponsor of TERI.
- TERI has conducted various projects for Coca-Cola India, including
"Strategies for Sustainable Water Resource Management in Sub Watersheds
around Kaladera village" (2005), "GIS-based diagnostic study for
assessing availability and quality of water resources to address
community concerns using a watershed approach" (January 2006),
and "Mobilizing youth for water conservation (MY WATER)" (April
2005).
- In a survey published by TERI in December 2001, TERI names Coca-Cola
as among the most responsible companies in India.
- TERI organized Earth Day 2003 with the "support of Coca-Cola",
and during which Sunil Gupta, Vice-President for Public Affairs
and Communication at Coca-Cola India was a keynote speaker.
- TERI organizes the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit annually,
of which the Coca-Cola company is an Associate Partner. TERI even
included Sanjiv Gupta, President and CEO of Coca-Cola India in
their press release dated February 4, 2005.
- TERI's website carries a lengthy interview on Coca-Cola's sustainable
programs with Sunil Gupta, Vice-President for Public Affairs and
Communication at Coca-Cola India, dated April 30, 2003.
- TERI's website carries a lengthy interview on Coca-Cola's "commitment
towards addressing environment and water concerns" with Jeffrey
Seabright, Vice President, Environment and Water Resources, at
Coca-Cola company, dated March 15, 2006.
The University of Michigan had suspended its business relationship
with the Coca-Cola company on January 1, 2006 because of the company's
failure to agree to a protocol for an investigation into issues in
India and Colombia.
The move to suspend Coca-Cola came in response to student concerns
over Coca-Cola's abuses in India and Colombia. The University of Michigan
had convened a Dispute Review Board (DRB), an advisory body comprising
of students, faculty and administrators to look into the issues in
India and Colombia. After deliberating for 10 months, the DRB recommended
in June 2005 that the Coca-Cola company be placed on probation. The
DRB also laid out a series of benchmarks that the Coca-Cola company
would have to meet in order to show that it was acting in good faith
to solve the problems in India and Colombia, including agreeing to
an independent, third party investigation into issues in India and
Colombia.
Specific details regarding TERI and Coca-Cola's plans for assessing
the issues in India will only be finalized by April 30th, according
to Coca-Cola.
For more information, visit www.IndiaResource.org
---ends---
FAIR USE NOTICE. This document contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. India Resource Center is making this article available in our efforts to advance the understanding of corporate accountability, human rights, labor rights, social and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
|
