Food Services

ESG & Sustainability Overview 

Published - April  2023 

Food Services (FS) - ESG​

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are three categories of non-financial performance indicators that can be used to better understand material risks and opportunities within an organization across each of these categories. CBRE Procurement defines ESG as: (E) decarbonizing the supply chain and environmental risk, (S) supplier diversity, and (G) responsible sourcing, as detailed below when unpacking Environmental, Social and Governance considerations.

For information on ESG, how to identify ESG risk and ESG Governance click here   Link

Food Services operations can create material ESG risks and opportunities, so it is important that this category is proactively managed from this perspective.

Environment:

There are several initiatives that can be undertaken by CBRE suppliers to minimize environmental degradation and excess carbon emissions.

Suppliers should consider the following:

  • Minimising food waste
  • Adopt an electric food delivery fleet
  • Programs to reduce water usage
  • Source food locally from sustainable suppliers
  • Eliminate single use plastics and adopt biodegradable tableware
  • Offer meat-free alternatives

Social:

Food services offers opportunities to engage diverse suppliers, social enterprises, and drive local skills development.

When offering their services Supplier partner's should be considering:

  • Using Diverse partners
  • Creating employment opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • Using local suppliers and ingredients
  • Innovative social enterprise models, where profits are reinvested in social programs

Governance:

Food services and its supply chain represent significant governance risks, especially in the area of modern slavery and safety.

Supplier partner's should be considering:

  • The origins of high-risk modern slavery products, such as coffee, chocolate, palm oil, and fresh fruit and vegetables
  • How to consistently manage their own suppliers to address modern slavery risk
  • Programs to ensure food safety are diligently followed

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ESG Procurement Elements 

Bid

Contracting

Transition & Supplier

Management

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