Health & Nutrition Commitments

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OUR SECTOR’S COMMITMENTS
TO PROMOTING BALANCED DIETS

The European soft drinks industry is doing its part to help Europeans manage their intake of added sugars from soft drinks and enable moderate consumption. We are committed to making the healthier choice the easy choice for consumers, as part of our contribution to the EU’s objective of a healthier and more sustainable food system.

LET’S EXPLORE OUR COMMITMENTS

Reducing sugar and offering smaller packages

For several decades, our sector has been on a long-lasting journey to reduce average sugars in our soft drinks and to offer smaller package sizes to enable consumers to manage their consumption of soft drinks and promote portion control.

We are committed to reducing the average sugar content in our beverages by another 10% from 2019-2025. This will represent an overall reduction of 33% in average sugars in the past two decades.

Ensuring no advertising and marketing of soft drinks to children

Since 2006, our sector has pledged not to advertise or market any soft drinks to children under 12 on television and on the radio, in print and online, including social media and on company-owned websites. In 2021, we strengthened our commitment not to market or advertise any soft drinks to children across all media by extending the commitment from children under 12 to children under 13 and lowering the audience threshold to 30% so that in practice fewer young children will be directly exposed to advertising for any of its soft drinks.

Implementing stringent school policies

Our sector acknowledges the role of school policies in promoting healthier drink environments and it has always taken its responsibility in schools seriously. We will continue to act effectively and responsibly in schools:

We do not sell any soft drinks in EU primary schools (through direct distribution);
The only soft drinks we sell in EU secondary schools are low- and no-calorie (through direct distribution) and only in non-branded vending machines, without logos or commercial communications.

Providing transparent and effective consumer information

Front-of-pack nutrition labelling provides consumers with easily understandable information to help them make more informed dietary choices, and encourages manufacturers to improve the nutritional content of the food they produce. Our sector will continue to contribute to the establishment of an evidence-based, EU-wide, harmonised and interpretative front-of-pack nutrition labelling system that is meaningful for consumers, encourages food producers to reformulate and is developed under an EU governance model.

WATCH OUR VIDEO

KEY RESOURCES

Press release

Europe’s soft drinks industry announces new commitment
to reduce average added sugars in its beverages by another 10% in Europe.

Position paper

UNESDA is making the healthier choice, the easy choice by once again strengthening its commitments.

Infographic

The European soft drinks industry is committed to helping Europeans manage their intake of added sugars from soft drinks.

Current water challenges

We cannot deny the current water challenges our world is facing. We are experiencing increased water scarcity, with demands for safe, usable water exceeding supply in many areas, including in Europe.

Freshwater use has been growing by about 1% per year since the 1980s and as water demand is expected to continue increasing at a similar rate until 2050, this will account for an increase of 20 to 30% above the current level of water use¹.
This increase in water demand is leading to a reduction of renewable water resources of 24% per capita in Europe².

Around 30% of the European population lives in areas with permanent water stress and up to 70% live in areas with seasonal water stress during summer³.
Europe’s aquatic ecosystems are severely degraded: only 17% of protected river, lake, alluvial, and riparian habitats are in good conservation status and 90% of protected wetland habitats are classified as poor or bad⁴.
Globally, 85% of wetlands have been lost in the last 300 years, with more than 50% lost since 1990⁵. This is particularly critical as wetlands play an important role in filtering water and removing pollutants, as well as providing shelter to wildlife and capturing carbon.

This situation entails severe risks for the world’s population.

For the last decade, the World Economic Forum has placed water-related risks among the world’s top five in its annual Global Risks Report.
Water-related disasters have also dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters⁶.
Nearly 95% of infrastructure loss and damage reported between 2010 to 2019 were due to water-related disasters⁷.
More frequent and intensive flooding has cost lives and livelihoods across Europe, while at the same time, more than 50% of the continent has, in recent years, been affected by extreme drought conditions, which also breed a range of negative social, economic and human outcomes⁸.

A situation driven by a combination of factors

The deterioration of the natural water cycle stems from a confluence of factors: growing urbanisation, growing populations, increased consumption, poor management, pollution, lack of or damaged infrastructure, and climate change.

Agriculture was responsible for 59% of total freshwater use in Europe in 2017⁹, while industrial and domestic uses are the main drivers of increasing water demand. Indeed, as economies industrialise, populations urbanise and water supply and sanitation systems expand.

Additionally, rising temperatures and more extreme weather patterns are causing more droughts and flooding. Climate variability is also bringing more uncertainty as to the availability, predictability and geographical distribution of water. Water and climate change are inextricably linked. From unpredictable rainfall patterns to shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, floods and droughts – most impacts of climate change come down to water (UN Water).

¹ Chart of Global Fresh Water Use 1901-2014 – The Global Education Project

² Water use in Europe — Quantity and quality face big challenges — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)Chart of Global Fresh Water Use 1901-2014 – The Global Education Project

³ Water stress is a major and growing concern in Europe — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)

⁴ Europe’s state of water 2024: the need for improved water resilience | European Environment Agency’s home page (europa.eu)Water stress is a major and growing concern in Europe — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)

⁵ Innovative Solutions Needed for Wetlands in Crisis – SDG Knowledge Hub (iisd.org)

⁶ Water Resources Management Overview: Development news, research, data | World Bank Innovative Solutions Needed for Wetlands in Crisis – SDG Knowledge Hub (iisd.org)

⁷ Water risks and resilience (undrr.org)

⁸ Risks and solutions: how climate change is impacting our water and health | European Environment Agency’s home page (europa.eu)

⁹ Water scarcity conditions in Europe (Water exploitation index plus) | European Environment Agency’s home page (europa.eu)Risks and solutions: how climate change is impacting our water and health | European Environment Agency’s home page (europa.eu)