Sodexo gives suppliers net zero deadline

Sodexo UK & Ireland has given its 4,000 suppliers a net zero deadline and has warned it will stop working with those who do not meet it.

The foodservice company has announced that from January 2030 it will cease working with suppliers that are unable to demonstrate progress on sustainability targets.

The move is part of Sodexo’s own sustainability journey which is started in 2010 and aims for net zero by 2040.

According to Sodexo research conducted in November 2021, 62% of suppliers had already made a commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 or sooner, while 20% did not have a carbon reduction plan in place.

Suppliers represent 75% of the company’s supply chain emissions and the partners have received a roadmap detailing Sodexo’s sustainability requirements, including the 2030 deadline.

It plans to provide mentoring and support to help meet the deadline as most of its UK and Ireland supply chain are made up of SMEs and social enterprises who would struggle to afford consultancy support. Those small organisations struggling to meet the deadline will be granted a two-year grace period to complete some of the requirements.

“We are so proud of the extensive and diverse supply chain we have built – we genuinely work with some incredible businesses, big and small,” said Aoife Wycherley, head of supply chain, Sodexo, UK & Ireland.

“Their response to this challenge and to our offer of mentoring and other support has been positive and we feel confident that this roadmap will deliver ever more impactful reductions in emissions. Many of our suppliers have already told us they are passing this message down through their own supply chain, which over time has the potential to create a significant ripple effect.”

Sodexo is first requiring suppliers to provide a detailed annual carbon reduction plan identifying opportunities for collaboration and areas of improvement, while also reporting on scope 1 and 2 emissions at the minimum.

Further milestones include:

• From January 2024, the evaluation criteria of all tenders to include a minimum of 10% Social Value Weighting. • By September 2025, suppliers representing 75% of Sodexo’s supply chain emissions will need to have set their net zero science-based targets validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). • By September 2027, suppliers representing 90% of Sodexo’s supply chain emissions will need to have set their own SBTi-validated net zero targets. • By January 2030, Sodexo will only partner with suppliers who can demonstrate tangible progress through published reporting.