Operators pledge net zero emissions

Revolution, BrewDog and Fuller’s are among the pub operators that have joined forces to establish the Zero Carbon Forum and collaborate on identifying the quickest reduction path to net zero emissions.

The forum is endorsed by government and backed by UKHospitality and the British Beer & Pub Association.

Senior leaders from a number of pub and bar brands have pledged to act now to achieve net zero carbon targets faster, and more efficiently and cost effectively than acting alone.

An initial 18 companies have come together to create the Zero Carbon Forum, with membership set to grow throughout 2021. Other pub operators include Shepherd Neame, Marston’s, Adnams, Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers, Young’s and St Austell.

Despite the ongoing damaging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on hospitality businesses, these operators have agreed to share 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.

The Zero Carbon Forum, which builds on 10 years of carbon reduction collaboration in the UK’s hospitality sector, will publish an industry roadmap to achieve net zero carbon by September 2021, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference later that year. Forum members believe this approach could act as a template for industry sector collaborations in the UK and globally.

“Our goal is for hospitality to achieve net zero faster, together,” says Mark Chapman, founder and CEO of the Zero Carbon Forum. “Carbon reduction and sustainable business is increasingly important to our customers so it’s vital that we act now. The window of opportunity to avert climate change disaster is closing fast and we must focus on reducing emissions and a path to net zero. We are already working on a number of collaborative decarbonisation initiatives with the backing of CEOs from the biggest brands and have engaged the support of leading sustainability experts to ensure the sector can quicken the pace of transition to a net zero economy.

“Cutting carbon emissions also cuts business costs so our solutions to tackling the climate crisis will help us bounce back more strongly from the pandemic. Hospitality is committed to working together at pace to decarbonise its operations and support the Government’s green industrial revolution.”

The Forum will measure and benchmark key emission areas such as energy, water, waste and supply chains for each company and the industry as a whole. This will enable operators to quickly identify and implement best practices in emission reduction, helping to improve both sustainability and profitability. The Forum is already working on reduction initiatives including collaborative renewable energy buying, price benchmarking, electric vehicle charge points and carbon offsetting.