Press release: Hospitality sector collectively pledges net zero ambitions

Hospitality sector collectively pledges net zero ambitions

The Zero Carbon Forum sets out plans in first-ever roadmap for the hospitality sector to reach net zero by 2030 for Scope 1 and 2 and 2040 for Scope 3  

19 October 2021, London: The Zero Carbon Forum, a non-competitive industry collaboration comprising some of the biggest brands in hospitality, has today launched the first-ever roadmap designed to provide the hospitality industry with guidance on the steps they can take to decarbonise their businesses and set net zero strategies. 

The initiative is being funded by the forum’s 27 members and is backed by UK Hospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association. Business leaders from the hospitality sector, including Pizza Hut Restaurants, Burger King, Revolution Bars Group and Adnams, will attend the event to support the Zero Carbon Forum and help transform the sector and its supply chain to achieve its net zero ambitions. Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality, and Emma McClarkin, CEO at the British Beer and Pub Association, will also be in attendance. 

Members of the forum worked together to quantify the carbon impact across the hospitality industry and shared all the initiatives they had taken to reduce emissions to help define the pathway to net zero. The resulting publicly accessible roadmap communicates the actions that hospitality companies can take on their journey to net zero.  

The roadmap, which outlines current trends, sector emissions hotspots, decarbonisation opportunities and practical steps for setting net zero goals, was developed in the context of the latest climate science, and through extensive consultation with forum members and sustainability experts. The action it calls for is consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C and is feasible for a wide range of businesses across the sector. The ambition is to reach a 90% reduction in operational emissions of 57% - 78% (Scope 1 & 2) and reductions in supply chain (Scope 3) emissions by 2040.  

According to Mark Chapman, CEO and Founder of the Zero Carbon Forum, several forum members have already set ambitious plans for net zero. “However, we need even more companies to sign up to this target date. In the coming months and years, the forum working groups will advance the decarbonisation strategies of individual members, driving decarbonisation across the sector as a whole,” he says. 

 “As well as longer term commitments, we’re structured and focused on the actions we can take now to reduce our carbon impact. Since launching the forum, we’ve doubled the number of members buying renewable energy. This commitment will deliver carbon savings of 350,000t CO2 per year, the same emissions as 43,750 households. We’ve also launched our overnight energy initiative to optimise operational efficiency, saving operators up to £4,900 and 10t CO2 annually, per outlet. 

“With over 60% of our emissions in our supply chains, we know we can have an even bigger impact through our ongoing partnerships, engaging our suppliers and customers to help lower the carbon impact of the food and drink we serve.  

“While the climate crisis presents fundamental risks to hospitality, it also highlights an immense opportunity. By working together, we can do better,” says Mark. 

Andrew Griffith, the Government’s Net Zero Business Champion, says: “I’m delighted to see this really important sector that is the beating heart of our high street and our economy stepping up to the climate crises despite what I know has been a challenging past 18 months.   

“Working together as businesses and harnessing the problem-solving powers used every day will help to make customers happy to help reduce the sectors emissions. The ambition of reaching net zero emissions across Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and the supply chain impact by 2040 is to be admired from the sector’s leading lights who play such an important part through interacting with customers every day. 

“This is a great initiative that helps us build the momentum ahead of COP26 to send a message to world leaders that now is the time to act.” 

Says Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality: “We are fully committed to decarbonisation and are delighted to have been part of the development of the roadmap. We will be proactively rolling this out to our membership and the wider industry in the coming weeks, months and years - for businesses to make positive changes to the way they operate. The ambition is for hospitality to be at the forefront of the race to net zero.”  

“Sustainability is a key priority for our sector as brewers, pubs and the supply chains that serve them continue to strive for and reach new heights in reducing their environmental footprint. As a sector that takes sustainability seriously, we are delighted to support the Zero Carbon Forum roadmap launch which helps defines the initiatives we can take to reduce our emissions and work towards a net zero, green future,” says Emma McClarkin, CEO of the BBPA. 

LINK TO ACCESS THE ROADMAP HERE

Ends

Editors notes

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Congratulations to the Zero Carbon Forum on the launch of its net zero roadmap! 

The official launch event welcomed CEOs from some of the UK’s leading hospitality companies whose consultation supported in the creation of the first of its kind net zero roadmap, along with the latest climate science. 

The net zero roadmap is freely accessible to all and sets out a bold commitment to inform hospitality companies of the actions needed to achieve net zero.

You can access the forum's roadmap here

final-ZCF-roadmap.pdf (zerocarbonforum.com)

#ZCFroadmap #netzero #roadtonetzero #climateaction #COP26 #climatecrisis #climatechange #sustainability #environment #sustainablehospitality #hospitalityindustry #hospitalityuk #workingtogether #greenhospitality #netzerofuture

About the Zero Carbon Forum  

The Zero Carbon Forum, is a non-profit organisation which builds on 10 years of carbon reduction collaboration in the UK’s hospitality sector. It enables members to reach their sustainability targets faster, more efficiently and more cost effectively than acting alone. 

Zero Carbon Forum will publish an industry roadmap to achieve net zero carbon in October 2021, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26). 

Forum members believe this approach could act as a template for industry sector collaborations in the UK and globally. Members pledge to work collaboratively, by sharing carbon reduction plans and initiatives, combining their expertise and resources to identify all possible actions to decarbonise operations across tens of thousands of outlets and their supply chains.  

Zero Carbon Forum is endorsed by Government and backed by trade associations Hospitality and the British Beer and Pub Association. Members include leading UK and global hospitality organisations, including Adnams, Azzurri Group, Boparan Restaurants, Brewdog, Burger King UK, Cote, Fuller’s, Greene King, InterContinental Hotels Group, JD Wetherspoon, KFC, Marston's PLC, Mitchells & Butlers PLC (MAB), Nando's UK and IRE, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut Restaurants UK, Revolution Bars, Shepherd-Neame Ltd, St Austell, Stonegate, The Restaurant Group (including Wagamama), WSH and Young & Co. Brewery, PLC.