SSP Releases First Sustainability Report

SSP, a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in tourism destinations worldwide, has published its first standalone sustainability report, which covers the financial year from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.
This report illustrates SSP's commitment to providing great tasting, healthy, and sustainable food for people and the planet, which was launched at the end of 2021. It contains detailed information about the Group's strategy, progress toward goals, and plans for its key focus areas:
Serving customers responsibly
Protecting the environment
Supporting colleagues and communities
Upholding high standards of governance
Patrick Coveney, Group CEO of SSP, said, “Sustainability is key to our long-term success, and delivering our purpose is the best part of the journey.”
“Our new sustainability strategy represents a step-change to our approach, and I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made in 2022—from increasing our plant-based menu offerings to eliminating unnecessary single-use plastic from approximately 80% of our own brand packaging. We've also made a lot of progress toward our goal of getting to net zero by 2040. We've finished mapping our total carbon footprint and made a detailed plan for how to get there.
“I truly believe that, together, working in partnership with our clients, brand partners, and suppliers, we can drive positive change across the food travel sector.”
Some of the highlights of the report include the following:
36% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions (vs 2029 baseline)
Completed mapping of the Group’s Scope 3 emissions and development of its net zero roadmap, in line with a 1.5°C scenario
80% of SSP’s own brand packaging free of unnecessary single-use plastic with around 85% recyclable, reusable or compostable
67% of the tea, coffee and hot chocolate served by SSP-owned brands certified to standards such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance
33% of SSP’s own-brand meals plant-based or vegetarian Over 387,000 meals saved from going to landfill via the Too Good To Go food saving app – the equivalent to over 968 tonnes of CO2e emissions
50% female representation on the SSP Group Board of Directors (an increase of 21% compared to 2021) and 36% women in senior leadership roles (an increase of 5% compared to 2021)
Partnerships in place with 27 charities globally, 14 of which are focused on alleviating food poverty in local communities.
SSP has signed the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) Business Ambition for 1.5°C and is sending its net zero targets and reduction plan to the SBTi for validation. As part of its commitment to transparency, the Group's sustainability reporting is in line with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards 2021, the Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Restaurants Standard, and the Task-force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
Source: SSP
Click here to read the full report.