Caring for our planet
gategroup
Our environmental ambitions & goals
Water
We recognize that protecting this vital natural resource is not only important from a humanitarian perspective but also critical for our business operations.
Ambition
Cut water usage by 50% across our locations in water-stressed areas by 2035.
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Targets
- Conduct groupwide water usage assessment by EoY 2023 and create water management strategy by EoY 2024.
- Deploy a proactive water management program and show demonstrable results by 2025.
In 2023, we considered the communities where gategroup operates and conducted a group-wide assessment, utilizing the World Resources Institute’s Aqueduct tool to identify regions expected to face high water stress by 2040. This approach aligns with our business continuity goals, aiming to future-proof our operations against water scarcity.
To reach our ambition to reduce water use in these areas, our strategy involves upgrading equipment, installing water meters, and optimizing machine use for efficiency. We are exploring additional measures such as water reuse and rainwater harvesting solutions to further strengthen our conservation efforts.
Waste
Ambition
Zero food waste solution across our production operations and promotion of recycling and circular solutions to reduce waste to landfill & incineration by 50% by 2040.
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Targets
- Conduct group-wide waste assessment by EoY 2023 and create waste management strategy to maximize recycling & minimize single-use materials by EoY 2024.
- Deploy a proactive waste reduction program and show demonstrable results by 2025.
The global waste crisis is alarming, with 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste generated each year, including food, plastics, electronics, and debris from mining and construction. Shockingly, 45 percent of this waste is mismanaged, posing significant environmental, health, and economic consequences.
Based on unit-level assessments conducted during 2023, we’ve developed a waste management plan focused on resource waste minimization. This includes collaborating with customers on resource conscious menu design, optimizing cooking processes, donating surplus food to those in need, working with our suppliers to reduce packaging waste, composting kitchen waste, as well as recycling materials such as cardboard, plastic, aluminum, and glass.
Energy, Climate Change & GHG Emissions
Ambition
Become a Net Zero Business by 2050.
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Targets
- Conduct a groupwide energy usage assessment by EoY 2023 and create an energy management strategy by EoY 2024.
- Begin proactive energy usage reduction program and show demonstrable results by 2025.
Our global unit-level assessment of energy use conducted during 2023 revealed that the equipment with the highest consumption includes dishwashers, washing machines, coolers, chillers, hot kitchens, and production machines at our deSter manufacturing facilities. We are addressing this issue with a plan for progressive upgrading to more energy-efficient equipment and for metering and monitoring machine use to identify further conservation opportunities. In addition, we are exploring the development of energy recovery systems, optimizing the use of refrigerants, as well as self-generation and sourcing of renewable energy.