Publications
Publications
- June 2011 (Revised December 2013)
- HBS Case Collection
FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?
By: Francesca Gino, Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice
Abstract
Seeking to go beyond global best practices in reducing environmental impacts, FIJI Water, a premium artesian bottled water company in the United States, launched a Carbon Negative campaign that would offset more greenhouse gas emissions than were released by the company's operations and products. The case examines the controversies surrounding this program as well as the program's impacts on the environment and FIJI Water's brand image. The company also faced decisions regarding how to best manage its relationship with the Fijian government, which recently dramatically raised imposed export taxes and could limit FIJI Water's access to water, its primary raw material. The case enables students to better understand the challenges of implementing an environmental strategy and of negotiating with parties that control raw materials, and invites discussion of the effectiveness of various approaches and the general lessons for the management of companies seeking to operate in an environmentally responsible manner.
Keywords
Carbon Footprint; Carbon Offsetting; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Brands and Branding; Negotiation Tactics; Business and Government Relations; Corporate Strategy; Food and Beverage Industry; United States; Fiji
Citation
Gino, Francesca, Michael W. Toffel, and Stephanie van Sice. "FIJI Water: Carbon Negative?" Harvard Business School Case 611-049, June 2011. (Revised December 2013.)