Delivering local impact on a global scale
We operate at an intersection of the travel, hospitality and food sectors, which face a wide range of sustainability challenges that cannot be addressed in isolation. Our Sustainability Strategy seeks to address our own impacts while working in collaboration with our airport and rail clients, joint venture and brand partners, suppliers and other stakeholders to bring our vision for a sustainable global food travel sector to life.
Our strategic approach
Our Sustainability Strategy focuses on the three key strategic areas of Product, Planet and People. Within these, we have made 10 key commitments, which are focused on the most material issues for our business and stakeholders.
Our commitments are supported by clear and measurable 2025 targets, as well as our science-based net-zero targets for 2032 and 2040.
While united under our global sustainability strategy, we embrace a philosophy of ‘freedom within a framework’. This means that while we set a unified, Group-wide direction, we empower each region and market to deliver on these goals locally, tailoring their approach to the unique challenges and opportunities of their region or market. This approach enables us to deliver meaningful, local impact on a global scale.
Now that we have reached the 2025 deadline for most of our targets, we are evaluating progress and key learnings, and exploring ways to evolve our strategy and set new goals. To support this, we conducted a double materiality assessment in 2025 to ensure we stay focused on the most important impacts, risks and opportunities.
See our new 2025 Double Materiality Assessment Summary
Our strategic focus areas
Product
When it comes to developing our recipes and menus, we consider the needs of both people and planet. That means increasing the availability of healthy and sustainable choices for our customers, ensuring our ingredients are sourced responsibly and supporting higher standards of animal welfare.
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Planet
The centrepiece of our planet is our ambitious target to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040, from our 2019 base year, while transitioning to sustainable packaging and reducing food waste.
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People
People are central to our business and we are committed to ensuring that SSP is the best part of our colleagues’ career journey. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and safe workplace that respects human rights and supports the communities where we operate.
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Governance
We believe behaving ethically and operating with integrity are both the right thing to do and critical to our continued business success. That is why strong governance is core to how we do business at SSP and sits at the centre of our Sustainability Strategy.
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Industry awards and recognition
Global
- Europe’s Climate Leaders 2025 from Financial Times and Statista, for our progress in reducing Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity.
- Airport Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year – Global and Europe at the Moodie Davitt Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality (FAB) Awards 2025, for our sustainable unit build programme.
- 2025 Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) Women Leaders Review recognised SSP for having one of the highest levels of female representation at Board level among FTSE 250 companies in 2024.
- Women to Watch in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Index 2025 featured Asheeka Hyde (Group Technology Director, Data & Analytics), Ivy Yang (Finance Director, APAC) and Niki Zomeni (Head of People, EEME), recognising their individual contributions to our industry.
Regional:
- APAC: Best Learning Culture Journey – Bronze Award at the Employee Experience Awards Hong Kong 2025, for our ‘Fly. Learn. Grow.’ development programme.
- Denmark: Good Citizen 2024 – Europe award from Inspire Brands, for our May ‘SOS Donut’ initiative in our Dunkin’ units, which donates a portion of sales to charity.
- India: Airport Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year – Asia Pacific at the Moodie Davitt Airport FAB Awards 2025, for our JV’s Chefs for Good initiative.
- Norway: 2025 Matredderprisen (Food Saver Prize) from Q-Meieriene, for our food waste efforts at Scandinavian Airlines lounges at Oslo Airport.
- UK: Economic Sustainability Award at theFootprint Awards 2025, recognising our work to reduce the carbon impact of food in our Soul + Grain brand while maintaining profitability.
- UK: Most Inclusive Divisional/Regional CEO in Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail awarded to Kari Daniels (UK&I CEO) at the WiHTL inclusion in Awards 2025.
- UAE: Airport Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year – Middle East & Africa at the Moodie Davitt Airport FAB Awards 2025, for our local sustainability implementation.
- UAE: Inclusion Award from Abu Dhabi Airports Awards 2024, recognising our efforts to foster an inclusive workplace at Zayed International Airport.
- UAE: Global ESG Awards recognised Edabelle Ragay (Safety & Sustainability Manager, UAE) at their Emirati Women’s Day event for her leadership and contribution to sustainability.
- USA: Greenest Airport Contractor at the 2025 Green Restaurant Awards, for the most Certified Green Restaurants® of any airport food service contractor.
- USA: Green Project of the Year at Green Dining Nevada’s 2024 Golden Pinecone Sustainability Awards, for our contribution to sustainability at Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
- USA: Top Diversity Employer by Mitratech Diversity Jobs in 2025, recognising our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Global
- Stakeholder Disclosure of the Year 2025 from the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, for excellence in stakeholder engagement reporting in our 2023 Annual Report.
Regional:
- India: Airport Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year – Asia Pacific at the Moodie Davitt Airport FAB Awards 2025, for our JV’s sustainability programme.
- Spain: Best ESG Award at our airport client’s Enjoy Aena Awards, which recognise excellence among the brands that operate in Aena’s network of 64 airports around the world.
- UAE: Airport Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year – Global and Middle East & Africa at the Moodie Davitt Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality (FAB) Awards 2024, for our collaboration with Klimato.
- UK: Sustainability Award at the Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS) for our menu at Hithe’s in London City Airport, developed using climate-impact data from Klimato
- USA: Greenest Airport Contractor at the 2024 Green Restaurant Awards, for the most Certified Green Restaurants® of any airport food service contractor.