Corporate Responsibility

Pepsi’s focus on corporate responsibility has made the organization known for the beneficial work that it does for the community. PepsiCo has founded a program called “Performance with Purpose” to be responsible to the community and environment in various different ways. Various tasks performed by this program include finding innovative ways to reduce the use of water, energy and packaging. Another tactic which Pepsi uses in order to be a responsible company is hiring local people, partnering with local growers and providing healthier food alternatives. There are three main components of the “Performance with Purpose” program which each focus on different elements of social responsibility and sustainability. The three sections are human, environmental and talent sustainability. I was able to find out about Pepsi sustainability efforts by browsing the 28 page 2009 sustainability report which can be found on the company’s website.

Pepsi’s human sustainability efforts include changes to their products, marketplace and community. Product changes include increasing the amount of whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. To improve the healthiness of their products, Pepsi will be decreasing the amounts of sodium, saturated fat and sugar in their products. Pepsi plans to improve human sustainability through the marketplace by displaying calorie counts and key nutrients, eliminate the direct sale of full-sugar soft drinks to schools and increase the range of portion sized snacks. Substantiality through the community will be achieved by investing and researching nutritionally relevant products, promoting healthier communities and integrating health and agriculture policies.

The second component of Pepsi’s corporate responsibility program is environmental sustainability through which Pepsi works to maintain our resources such as land, energy and water. PepsiCo hopes to improve their water use efficiency by 20 percent, strive for positive water balance and provide access to safe water for 3 million people. Land and packaging can be sustained by continuing to incorporate recycled polyethylene terephthalate, eliminate all solid waste from landfills and reduce packaging weight. Pepsi aims to reduce their carbon footprint by improving electricity efficiency, reducing fuel-use intensity and reducing green house gas. Pepsi also has a commitment to its community which can be shown through their efforts apply sustainable agriculture practices, provide support to local farmers and promote environmental education.

The third way in which social responsibility and sustainability are cultivated by PepsiCo is through focusing on employee talents. Pepsi hopes to enable its employees to thrive by providing a supportive and promotional workplace. Pepsi hopes to enable its employees by ensuring high levels of employee engagement, fostering diversity, encouraging them to lead healthy lives, providing a safe workplace and complying with ethical and legal standards. Pepsi fosters careers through providing an environment where people know their skills can develop and providing frequent training to upper management.

These are three different areas that show the social responsibility of the Pepsi Company. Since Pepsi focuses on each of these areas in addition to simply earning revenue, it shows that they want to improve the world which they are running in through setting up these ambitious sustainability goals.