Aramark
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2019-10 to 2020-09, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2019-10 to 2020-09
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Waste Reduction
- Responsible Sourcing
- Employee Wellbeing
- Community Engagement
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 12% from FY19 levels (Note: Intensity increased due to revenue reduction)
- Reduced plastic straws and stirrers by 59% (nearly 90 million)
- Reduced over 25% of total waste pounds in U.S. food service operations since 2015
Social Achievements
- Named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity”, Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality”, and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index.
Governance Achievements
- Board-level oversight of climate-related issues
- Incentives for management of climate-related issues
- Annual training on anti-corruption, human rights, and workplace environment
Climate Goals & Targets
- Reduce food loss and waste 50% by 2030
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. by 15% from 2019 baseline by 2025
Environmental Challenges
- Supply chain disruptions due to extreme weather events
- Increased supplier costs due to climate change impacts on agriculture
- Reputational risks related to climate change and deforestation
- Increased capital expenditures due to extreme weather events
- Decreased revenues due to reduced production capacity from extreme weather
Mitigation Strategies
- Aramark Supply Chain monitors adverse weather conditions and works with suppliers to ensure business continuity
- Implementation of a No-Deforestation Policy
- Regular reviews with clients to align sustainability strategies
- Continual benchmarking and updates for sustainability strategy
- Investment in technology and route optimization to reduce fuel consumption
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 41% of suppliers by spend in 2020
Responsible Procurement
- No-Deforestation Policy
- Sustainable Sourcing Framework
- EcoVadis system for supplier assessments
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Rising mean temperatures
- Changes in precipitation patterns
- Increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events
Transition Risks
- Increased stakeholder concern
- Changes in regulation
Opportunities
- Product efficiency improvements
- Access to new markets through energy efficiency services
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: Greenhouse Gas Protocol
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Bottle-less water coolers
Awards & Recognition
- DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity”, Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality”, 100% on the Disability Equality Index
Reporting Period: 2021
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Employee Engagement
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Empowering Healthy Consumers
- Building Local Communities
- Sourcing Ethically, Inclusively, and Responsibly
- Operating Efficiently
- Minimizing Food Waste
- Reducing Packaging
- Integrity and Compliance
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced absolute GHG emissions from fiscal 2019 baseline (though reduced business activity due to the pandemic also contributed)
- 85% of contracted beef purchased from areas with no deforestation risk
- 100% of soy used in contracted soy oils, margarines, and shortenings sourced from regions with no deforestation risk
- Reduced fuel consumption by 5% year-over-year, exceeding 850,000 gallons
- Pre-consumer food waste in U.S. food operations 74% lower than 2015 baseline (though pandemic impacted this metric)
- Over 95% wood stirrers used in the U.S. by the end of fiscal 2021
Social Achievements
- Increased Employee Resource Group (ERG) membership by more than 25% in six months
- More than 122 ERG events or engagement activities in the past 12 months
- Annual percentage of small businesses and diverse suppliers in North America exceeded 16%
- Introduced an Employee Stock Purchase Program
- Partnered with DailyPay to implement early wage access
- Launched a new employee insights program
- Improved year-over-year safety incident rate
Governance Achievements
- Established a talent experience function
- Launched an employee insights program
- Established an Executive Diversity Council (EDC) chaired by the CEO
- Quarterly EDC reports to the Board of Directors
- ESG metrics tied to executive performance scorecards for fiscal 2022
Climate Goals & Targets
- Set enterprise-wide science-based targets aligned with the SBTi Net-Zero Standard, including a long-term target to reach net-zero value chain GHG emissions by 2050
- Reduce GHG emissions in the U.S. by 15% from 2019 baseline by 2025
- Achieve 25% of all U.S. spend with women and minority-owned and small/disadvantaged business enterprises by 2025
- Reduce food waste in the U.S. by 50% from 2015 baseline by 2030
- Reduce fuel consumption by 8% from 2019 baseline by 2022
- Achieve 100% recyclable and reusable packaging in Northern Europe by 2025
- Transition 100% of U.S. contracted pork to group-housed by the end of 2022
Environmental Challenges
- Supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Reduced business activity impacting emissions reduction progress
- Challenges in achieving cage-free egg goals due to supply chain disruptions
Mitigation Strategies
- Developed and implemented strategies to mitigate supply chain disruptions
- Focused on operational improvements to drive emissions reductions
- Set enterprise-wide science-based targets to reduce GHG emissions
- Increased supplier engagement around beef sourcing and other sustainability initiatives
- Developed regional plans to achieve global cage-free egg goal by 2025
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: Nearly 2,000 audits of food operations annually (pre-pandemic)
Responsible Procurement
- FSS Supplier Code of Conduct
- Sustainability policy requirements for suppliers
- Sustainability questions in RFP process
- Use of EcoVadis for supplier sustainability assessment
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD, UN SDGs
Certifications: ISO 14001, WRAP Gold (Monclova and San Pedro factories), UL’s Zero Waste to Landfill Gold (Monclova and San Pedro factories), STeP by OEKO-TEX® (Monclova factory)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13: Climate Action
- Goal 14: Life Below Water
- Goal 15: Life On Land
The report details how Aramark's initiatives contribute to these goals through various programs and practices.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Plant-forward menu items
- Reusable products (tumblers, cutlery, etc.)
- Compostable snack food bags
Awards & Recognition
- Top employer rankings from DiversityInc, Diversity Best Practices, Black Enterprise Magazine, Human Rights Campaign, and Disability Equality Index
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Animal Welfare
- Antibiotics Stewardship
- No-Deforestation
- Sustainable Seafood
- Single-Use Plastics
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced usage of plastic straws and stirrers by 60% across US foodservice operations by the end of 2020
- Sourced all contracted soy-based oils from regions with no deforestation risk in 2020
- Ensured all specified margarines and shortenings contained soy from regions with no deforestation risk, and palm oil that meets RSPO standards in 2020
- Achieved 90% of the goal to source 100% of contracted seafood from responsible sources by 2018
Social Achievements
- Commitment to humane treatment of broiler chickens, including reducing stocking density, providing enriched environments, and using controlled stunning by 2024 (US & Canada)
- Commitment to transitioning to cage-free eggs globally by the end of 2025
Governance Achievements
- Established a Sustainable Sourcing Framework to guide Aramark’s end-to-end management of environmental and social impacts in its supply chain
Climate Goals & Targets
- Phase out routine use of antibiotics as growth promoters or disease prevention across poultry, beef, pork, and seafood
- Transition to cage-free eggs globally by the end of 2025
- Implement humane conditions for broiler chickens (transitioning to improved welfare strains) by 2026 (US & Canada)
- Require European suppliers to meet European Chicken Commitment requirements by 2026
- Purchase 100% group-housed pork by the end of 2022
- Transition to cage-free eggs in Canada by the end of 2022
- Implement humane conditions for broiler chickens (reducing stocking density, enriched environments, controlled stunning) by 2024 (US & Canada)
Environmental Challenges
- Covid-19 pandemic led to a surge in plastic waste due to increased takeout dining and PPE usage
- Challenges in reducing or phasing out antibiotics across beef, pork, and seafood categories
- Maintaining cage-free egg transition amidst business fluctuations
Mitigation Strategies
- Included ‘opt-out’ options for disposable utensils in digital ordering platforms
- Expanded usage of reusable takeout food containers
- Working with suppliers to understand and prioritize improvements in antibiotic reduction across beef, pork, and seafood
- Ongoing monitoring to ensure maintenance of cage-free shell egg transition
Supply Chain Management
Responsible Procurement
- Aramark’s Supplier Code of Conduct
- Incorporating principles and policies into contracts, RFIs, and RFPs
- Sourcing from suppliers who identify and provide specific products that meet sourcing policies
- Requiring suppliers to submit details on soy utilized for feed, palm oil sourcing, and product traceability
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Responsible Sourcing
- Food Waste Reduction
- Circular Economy
- Operational Efficiency
- Governance
- Employee Engagement
- Community Building
- Food Safety
- Supply Chain Sustainability
Environmental Achievements
- Science Based Targets initiative validated Aramark's near-term and net-zero targets.
- Named one of America’s Greenest Companies by Newsweek.
- Awarded Greenest Food Contractor by Green Restaurant Association.
- Developed client-specific food emissions report.
- Launched 5-year circularity strategy.
- Reduced food waste by 73% from 2015 baseline in U.S. operations.
- 83% of global client locations reached Target Zero (no work-related injuries).
Social Achievements
- Celebrated 10th annual Aramark Building Community Day, engaging over 5,000 volunteers.
- Launched myWholeSelf self-identification campaign to better understand workforce demographics.
- Launched Pathways to Inclusive Hiring Practices training for managers.
- Expanded Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) globally with a 20%+ increase in membership.
- Introduced onboarding and exit life-cycle surveys in the U.S.
- Provided inclusive hiring training and guides for managers.
- Aramark Correctional Services’ IN2WORK program helped over 8,500 people transition back into their communities.
Governance Achievements
- Integrated Persefoni carbon accounting software.
- Implemented artificial intelligence policy and task force.
- ESG metrics formally included in CEO and executive leadership’s incentive compensation.
- Passed ISO 14001 and 45001 certification for corporate operations.
Climate Goals & Targets
- Achieve net-zero value chain emissions (all scopes) by 2050.
- Substantially reduce indirect emissions (scope 3) by 2030.
- Reduce U.S. GHG emissions by more than 50% by 2030.
- Reduce emissions from food by 25% by 2030 in the U.S.
- Source 25% of U.S. spend through small and diverse suppliers by 2025.
Environmental Challenges
- Supply chain disruptions
- Global egg supply challenges
- Reducing single-use plastics and other disposables
- Managing climate-related risks across the value chain
Mitigation Strategies
- Developed alternative sourcing strategies
- Partnered with diverse suppliers
- Launched 5-year circularity strategy with specific reduction targets
- Developed decarbonization pathway guided by science-based targets
- Implemented carbon accounting software (Persefoni)
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: More than 580 suppliers engaged globally, nearly 300 scored at the end of FY2023.
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct
- Sustainability questionnaires
- EcoVadis assessments
- Partnerships with diverse supplier organizations
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes
- Market shifts
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products and services
- Expansion of plant-based menu offerings
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: SASB: Restaurants Industry, GRI, TCFD
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 45001
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 14: Life Below Water
- SDG 15: Life on Land
Aramark's initiatives contribute to these SDGs through various programs and policies.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Coolfood meals
- Plant-forward menu items
Awards & Recognition
- Newsweek America’s Greenest Companies
- Green Restaurant Association Greenest Food Contractor