Event Review

If you missed our most recent event, here’s a recap that covers the complex journey towards sustainability in hospitality. Called The Road to Net Zero, the event featured two key segments: a powerful state-of-the-nation overview by Reuben Pullan, senior insight consultant at CGA by NIQ, followed by a dynamic panel discussion with senior industry leaders.

Together, they provided a comprehensive mix of market insight, operational perspective, and forward-looking strategies in the face of mounting climate and economic pressures.

Creating a sustainable future in an unstable now

In his session, Creating a Sustainable Future in an Unstable Now, Pullan laid out the current hospitality landscape. Despite challenges, the sector remains resilient, though cautious. Larger operators continue to adapt at scale, while independents are navigating tight margins and constrained resources.

Some key takeaways from Pullan’s presentation:

Profitability is under pressure: More operators are seeing profits decline, driven by rising wage and staffing costs. This is impacting business priorities.

Sustainability investment is slowing: In 2024, many leaders planned to increase investment in sustainability, but by 2025, the trend slowed. Only 14% of leaders say it’s a concern for the next 12 months, this number rises to 19% for independents.

Sustainability has become a ‘hygiene factor’: Akin to toilets being a marker of hygiene in the ’90s, recycled materials and energy efficiency now signal care and credibility to consumers.

Consumers want proof, not promises: They fall into four segments - activists, sceptics, opportunists and pessimists, who show varied attitudes, but all respond better to transparent, tangible sustainability efforts.

Operators are shifting priorities: There is less focus on ethical or plant-based menu development, more on promotions, experience and revenue-driven occasions.

These insights set the stage for the panel discussion, reinforcing the urgency of aligning long-term sustainability goals with short-term operational realities.

The Road to Net Zero

This session’s panellists were Annelie Selander, chief sustainability officer, WSH; Thomas Heier, CEO, Wagamama; Pete Statham, head of sustainability – Europe, Sysco; Ken McMeikan, CEO, Moto Hospitality; and debate chair Mark Chapman, CEO & founder, Zero Carbon Forum.

The Road to Net Zero discussion outlined an urgent, multi-faceted challenge that’s reshaping the hospitality landscape.

WSH’s Selander laid out a sobering reminder: sustainability is fundamentally about our ability to endure, and we are currently failing. Global carbon emissions reached 40 billion tonnes last year, rising by 1%, while the food and drink sector continues to drive significant deforestation. Net Zero, she emphasised, is not simply about offsetting emissions but radically reducing them.

The Zero Carbon Forum, which launched in 2020, supports hospitality businesses through collective climate action, shared reporting and investment in emissions reduction – driving efficiency, resilience, and brand credibility.

McMeikan from Moto Hospitality, shared Moto’s ambitious investment of over £100 million into electric vehicle infrastructure, despite key challenges like grid limitations and complex regulations. With EV users stopping 50% more often and spending 20% more than other drivers, sustainability also proves commercially viable. McMeikan highlighted internal cultural shifts, such as staff increasingly wanting to work for businesses with purpose, and disclosed that Moto is planning to generate 50% of its own site energy through solar power in the future.

Wagamama’s Heier, presented the brand’s Treading Softly and Mindfully mindset. Recognising the intensifying climate crisis as a core business risk, Wagamama is rolling out electric kitchens, making packaging changes and improving supplier resilience with dual sourcing. Menu flexibility is a cornerstone of the strategy, adapting recipes twice a year to reflect climate and supply shifts. Heier stressed that while innovation is essential, it must remain operationally achievable.

Statham at Sysco, provided a wholesaler’s perspective. Consumer interest in sustainability is not waning, it’s growing. Sysco is addressing this through third-party certifications and promoting locally sourced ingredients, which also enhance cost, quality and shelf life. However, shifting climate patterns are already disrupting staples such as lettuce, cocoa and oats, requiring supply chain agility and deeper supplier collaboration.

The discussion returned to the need for cross-sector collaboration and long-term supplier support. All panellists agreed that businesses must move from transactional to strategic relationships, investing in regenerative agriculture, shared waste reduction efforts, and transparency across the supply chain. Internal drivers including employee engagement and brand purpose are proving as powerful as external pressures.

The panel closed with a call for greater government leadership. Consistent policy, clearer forecasting for infrastructure demands and national education campaigns are urgently needed.

Across all speakers, the message was clear: sustainability is no longer a bolt-on; it’s integral to business strategy, employee retention, customer trust and long-term viability. As the sector navigates the road to Net Zero, collaboration, transparency, and bold leadership will define who leads and who gets left behind. Consumers respond to real-word outcomes, which means less jargon and more action.