Environmental impact - Whitbread PLC
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Environmental impact

We have the responsibility to fundamentally change how we operate our business by ensuring we reduce our contribution to climate change. Our focus on decarbonising our hotel estate, one of the largest in the UK, has allowed us to become the hotel operator with the highest number of low‑carbon rooms in the UK – 1,500 by March 2025. By ‘low-carbon’ we mean that the hotels are powered by electricity backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) and no gas is used for heating and cooking.

Net zero targets validated by SBTi

We have gained SBTi validation for our near and long-term net zero targets, committing to reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 99.6% by 2040 and Scope 3 emissions by 90% by 2050 from a 2016/17 baseline year. Our near-term target is 84.1%/m2 reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 2030. See our first Transition Plan to Net Zero which has more details on how we plan to meet these targets. In 2024/25, we have also submitted our Forest Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Targets to SBTi for validation.

20% water reduction per sleeper by 2030

We have set a target to reduce water use per sleeper by 20% by 2030 from a 2019/20 baseline. By installing water-efficient showerheads and taps, we are not only conserving a vital resource but also reducing the energy needed to heat water—delivering both carbon and cost savings. Our guests say they still get a great shower.

Reducing plastic wherever possible across our hotels, restaurants and associated supply chain

We’ve restated our target in 2024/25 to take an end-to-end approach to waste. Our new commitment will see us work closely with our waste partner to identify the items that are most material to Whitbread, and with suppliers to find solutions.

50% reduction in food waste by 2030

Our target is to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030 against a 2018/19 baseline. This helps us to become a more efficient business, but also reduces our GHG emissions and helps support food security, both in the UK and across our global supply chain.

We are also working hard to ensure that none of our general waste goes to landfill as we know that the environmental impact of landfill is a growing issue. We have a target to divert 100% of our operational waste from landfill and work with our supplier to meet this.

How we’re positively impacting the environment

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