Firm reveals that 97 per cent of electricity use is now from renewables in latest sustainability report
Almost all of high street bakery chain Greggs' business operations are now powered by renewable electricity, according to an update from the company this morning.
In its annual sustainability report, the bakery chain - which operates more than 2,400 outlets nationwide - confirmed it was making progress towards its 2025 goals and had identified a number of key focus areas for the year ahead.
Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs, said several of the company's 2025 targets had already been met. "We have significantly exceeded our target to make 30 per cent our products a healthier choice; and our responsible sourcing policies are firmly established ahead of schedule," she said. "However, we're always determined to do better."
The report reveals that by the end of 2023 97.1 per cent of electricity usage across its operations come from renewable sources, as well as 30 per cent of its gas consumption.
The company is aiming to increase its share of renewable gas to 60 per cent by the end of this year, as its goal of achieving 100 per cent renewable energy across all operations by 2025 inches closer.
Plans to this year switch a distribution depot from diesel to biofuel and develop a policy that "deals with non-renewable electricity usage in serviced locations" will deliver further progress towards the chain's net zero goal, it said.
On the food waste front, the company said it had increased the share of unsold food being redistributed to 41.9 per cent and reduced the waste created by manufacturing operations by a further 10 per cent last year.
Meanwhile, 21 per cent of Greggs' estate, totalling 500 shops, now feature 'eco-shop' elements. The company is now working to ensure a quarter of outlets have such features by the end of this year.
The company's flagship 'eco-shop', which opened in 2022 in Nottinghamshire, is providing a test site for a range of new clean technologies, materials, practices, and solutions that can then be rolled out elsewhere across Greggs' estate. The company has plans to open a second 'eco shop' this year.
Greggs has also pledged 100 per cent of its soy will be certified as sustainable by the end of this year, after successfully completing a mapping exercise of soy in animal feed in 2023.
Looking to the coming year, Currie said the company would focus on "what is material" to its business, including its "responsibility in promoting regenerative and sustainable agriculture".
"We acknowledge the pressing global issue of biodiversity loss and our suppliers and farmers play pivotal roles in addressing this challenge," he said. "Greggs is dedicated to supporting them in making a meaningful impact and driving positive change."
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