Our journey to net zero and a climate-smart future
With changes in the Earth’s climate observed globally and biodiversity loss further exacerbating the crisis, the next few years are critical and will require collaborative, widespread action by all stakeholders. We are dedicated to playing our part. We know it’s not only the right thing to do but vital to our long-term success.
The centrepiece of our net-zero strategy is our net-zero 2040 ambition, and in 2023, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) verified our targets to reach net-zero greenhouse (GHG) emissions across our value chain by 2040, from a 2019 base year.
We’re also focused on eliminating single-use plastics and transitioning to sustainable packaging for all our own brands. And we’re working to reduce food waste through prevention, redistribution, recycling and composting.
Our commitments
Commitment 4: Reducing our climate impact
We are committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our value chain (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 2040, from a 2019 base year.
Commitment 5: Transitioning to sustainable packaging
We are committed to eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic and ensuring 100% of our own brand packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Commitment 6: Reducing food waste
We are committed to reducing food waste through prevention, redistributing, recycling and composting.
Targets
By 2032, reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 60%, from a 2019 base year.
By 2040, reduce absolute Scopes 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions by 90%, from a 2019 base year.
Highlights and case studies
Targets
By 2025, eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic from all our own brand packaging.
By 2025, 100% of packaging for our own brand products to be reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Target
By 2025, all divisions globally to have programmes to reduce food waste through prevention, redistribution, recycling and composting.
Introducing plastic-free coffee cup lids in the UK
We have reinforced our commitment to sustainability across the UK by removing plastic lids from our own-brand hot beverage cups and replacing them with a plastic-free alternative.
The new lids, made of bagasse which is derived from sugar cane stalks, will remove more than eight million single-use plastic items from SSP’s own-brand supply chain each year, weighing in excess of 45 tonnes, more than three Routemaster buses.
The bagasse lids are also free from PFAS, or “forever chemicals”, which research* shows can be harmful to humans. They will be used at brands including AMT Coffee and Upper Crust.
Our Klimato partnership and carbon labelling pilot
In April 2023, we began our partnership with Klimato, a leading provider for calculating the carbon footprint of recipes.
We began piloting Klimato in the UK and United Arab Emirates to evaluate the CO2e impact of our recipes and identify areas where emissions can be reduced or alternatives can be developed, all while maintaining customer appeal.
In November 2023, we started a two-month pilot of carbon labelling on the menus of our Ritazza and Camden Food Co. brands at Abu Dhabi International Airport, UAE. We added carbon labels and QR codes to our menus and in-store messaging to help educate and guide our customers toward climate-smart choices. We are using the insights gained about how labelling influences customer behaviour to
'Scope for Change' film series
We have a science-based target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 2040, against a 2019 base year. With 90% of our emissions associated with our value chain where don’t have direct control, reducing these emissions and achieving our net-zero targets is a challenging undertaking.
Learn more about our approach in the 4-minute 'Scope for Change' film on the Economist Impact website: impact.economist.com/value-chain-navigator/spotlight
Net-zero targets approved by SBTi
In August 2023, our net-zero targets, which include our near- and long-term targets, were validated by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the global body for validating emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science. SBTi validation confirms that our targets meet the Science Based Targets initiative Net-Zero Standard, ensuring they are credible, transparent and consistent.
Find out more at: sciencebasedtargets.org/companies-taking-action
More case studies
Food waste in the USA is estimated to be between 30-40% of the country’s entire food supply.¹ In this context, our primary focus in the USA is on food waste prevention utilising a digital inventory and recipe management system as a key tool. This enables smart ingredient forecasting, real-time inventory tracking and production planning to help prevent food waste in the first instance.
By the end of 2023, this is now integrated across 38 airports and 266 units. We are capturing and reporting kitchen production waste through the system and using those insights to encourage further prevention initiatives.
To minimise ingredient waste, we have eliminated slow moving single-use ingredients to avoid spoilage. We work with our chefs to make the most of each ingredient, such as repurposing surplus bread for croutons in soups and salads. We are also training kitchen staff on knife skills to reduce trim waste.
Since 2022, 100% of our central kitchens in the USA have food composting facilities. In addition, in 2023, 78% of our own brand units in the USA were diverting waste cooking oil for recycling and 33% of units that serve coffee were sending waste coffee grounds for composting. The small amounts of remaining unsold, surplus food are redistributed through Food Donation Connections, an organisation that liaises between food service companies and local social service agencies to distribute food to people in need.
"Reducing food waste is an ethical imperative that also happens to make great business sense. Our operators first focus on reducing waste at the source by utilising historical data to predict future sales volume and adjust production levels accordingly. Accurately predicting business volume, and in turn production levels, also helps us make smarter purchasing decisions and reduces ingredient spoilage." Amanda Busby, Chief Operating Officer, SSP America
1) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (2023) Food Loss and Waste. Available at: www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-loss-and-waste.
We work closely with our clients to advance our shared sustainability goals. In November 2023, Abu Dhabi International Airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) opened its new state-of-the-art Terminal A. The project has placed sustainability at the forefront during the design, construction and workings of the terminal and has been awarded a 3-Pearl design rating from the Estidama green building rating system.
Throughout the planning and construction process, we aligned our units in the terminal with these sustainable build standards. For example, 90% of wood is from recycled or reclaimed sources, 85% of all floor and wall tiling used are locally sourced with a minimum of 20% recycled content and we installed water-based air-conditioning and recycling extractor steam systems, along with other energy-efficient equipment.
And, with the UN COP28 Climate Change Conference held in UAE from the end of November, we took the opportunity to deliver a climate-smart food showcase for our Ritazza and Camden food co. brands. Utilising the Klimato platform, we assessed the climate-impact of all our menu items, creating low-carbon specials and adding carbon labels and QR codes to our menus and in-store messaging to help educate and guide our customers toward climate-smart choices. We will be using the insights gained about how labelling influences customer behaviour to inform our strategy going forwards.
Used cooking oil, when disposed of irresponsibly, blocks drains and sewers and can contaminate local water supplies. Recycling cooking oil not only prevents it ending up as waste, but also contributes to a circular economy by giving it a new life as biofuel.
By the end of 2023, 96% of our own brand units with fryers were sending waste cooking oil to be recycled into biofuels. Those units not yet recycling oil are in places where there are no schemes or facilities available. In these cases, we are actively engaging with our clients to encourage their introduction.
In India, for example, 100% of our waste cooking oil in the country is recycled through the national RUCO – Repurpose Used Cooking Oil – programme and converted into biofuel. In just three months, this totalled more than 7,800 litres of waste cooking oil, helping to maintain food safety, and reduce food waste and emissions from fossil fuels.