_BIOGRAPHY Kazumasa Mukae is General Director of Coca-Cola Uzbekistan, appointed in autumn 2024. A Harvard Business School graduate, he previously led Coca-Cola's marketing and operations in Japan and Korea, and began his career at a Japanese trading company, followed by management consulting, before joining the FMCG sector.

“WHAT BEGAN MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO AS ENTRY INTO A DEVELOPING ECONOMY HAS MATURED INTO ONE OF OUR 30 KEY MARKETS WORLDWIDE.”

AFTER 30 YEARS IN UZBEKISTAN, WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY IN THE COUNTRY?

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Uzbekistan holds a firmly established position in The Coca-Cola Company's global growth strategy. What began more than 30 years ago as entry into a developing economy has matured into one of our 30 key markets worldwide, reflecting both the scale we have reached and our confidence in the country's long-term potential.

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Our presence, five production plants and more than $500 million in cumulative investment across the Coca-Cola system, shows a sustained commitment. These investments have been driven by consistent consumer demand, a favourable operating environment, and the steady build-up of local capability. Uzbekistan matters as a sizeable domestic market and a cornerstone of our operations in Central Asia. A young population, rising purchasing power, and ongoing economic reforms continue to support growth across our beverage portfolio. We focus on strengthening value growth through portfolio development and innovation, alongside deeper investment in our people and in local partnerships.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS FOR YOUR INITIATIVES?

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We measure environmental performance through operational indicators, third-party standards, and tangible community impact. Current results are milestones, not endpoints. On operational efficiency, our new plants in Samarkand and Namangan have cut energy consumption by 10 to 15 percent, purify production water for reuse, and helped deliver a 12 percent reduction in water use over two years. We monitor water-use ratio, energy intensity, and emissions per unit of production against Coca-Cola system standards and international best practice.

With our CCI partners, we are committed to reducing water use further through continued investment in efficiency, reuse, and digital monitoring. Environmental leadership must translate into impact for communities. In Uzbekistan we support access to clean drinking water through projects in Navoi, Samarkand, and the Aral Sea region. This year we take a significant step forward with a regional water project in partnership with UNDP, covering the Aral Sea basin in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

We also focus on replenishment in agriculture, which is the country's largest water user. Smart irrigation and water-saving technologies help reduce withdrawal for irrigation while maintaining productivity. Across these combined efforts we replenish roughly 50 million litres of water annually in Uzbekistan, ensuring that the volume returned to nature and communities exceeds the water used in our beverages.

HOW DOES YOUR SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA ALIGN WITH UZBEKISTAN'S STRATEGY?

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The alignment is substantial. The priority President Mirziyoyev has placed on green solutions and water-saving technologies reflects objectives already embedded in how the Coca-Cola system operates, globally and locally. Water stewardship is the clearest point of convergence. As a beverage company, we treat responsible water use as both a business imperative and a shared duty. In Uzbekistan that means continuous improvement of water efficiency at our production sites, investment in modern technology, and close cooperation with local partners to protect shared resources.

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The circular economy is another area of common ground. Through our PACT project we support PET bottle collection and helping build local recycling infrastructure. We are also working towards local rPET production, which would strengthen domestic value chains and reduce reliance on virgin material. These priorities, water efficiency, waste reduction, and recycling, are shared at both corporate and government levels.

WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU GIVE OUR INVESTORS INTERESTED IN UZBEKISTAN?

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Uzbekistan has made clear progress in positioning itself as a credible destination for sustainable investment. Sustainability has moved from policy to practical implementation, supported by national strategies, regulatory reform, and political commitment at the highest level. From the perspective of a company under intense environmental scrutiny, we see a market open to long-term, sustainability-driven investment. Developments in water management, recycling infrastructure, energy efficiency, and regulation align with international standards and investor expectations.

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International companies have an important role in accelerating this transition. Beyond capital, they bring technology, operational know-how, and experience in scaling sustainable solutions. Combined with local partnership and government support, that experience translates into improved resource efficiency, circular value chains, and higher environmental performance. Uzbekistan offers a fast-developing economy with clear sustainability ambitions. For companies like ours, the role is to act as long-term partners in the systems being built