Nando's is upping its vegan game.
Peri-peri chicken restaurant chain Nando’s says it will add more plant-based offerings to its menu in an effort to combat climate change.
The announcement is part of the chain’s new sustainability commitments. The company aims to improve its environmental standards across Ireland and the UK.
Nando’s aims to further reduce its carbon emissions per meal by 50 percent by 2030. The company has already reduced its carbon footprint by 40 percent since 2015. By 2030, it also plans to achieve absolute zero direct emissions in lieu of carbon offsetting.
“Over the last four years our sustainability initiatives have significantly reduced our carbon footprint,” Colin Hill, Nando’s CEO for the UK and Ireland, said in a release.
“But we are launching ambitious new commitments which will set a strong example for what our industry can do to make a genuine difference,” he continued.
The company also plans to improve chicken welfare. It signed up for the global “Better Chicken Commitment” in May. It released a formal chicken welfare commitment, which the company says will help reduce its carbon footprint.
Nando’s already offers vegan options. It launched meatless chicken burgers in Australia earlier this year. Dubbed the “Great Pretender” burger, the plant-based burger features a pea and wheat protein patty.
In addition to adding more plant-based items to its menus, Nando’s plans to reduce its carbon footprint by switching to renewable sources of energy.
The company currently already uses a 100 percent renewable electricity supply in restaurants located in England, Scotland, and Wales. And it’s committed to making its gas supplies in these locations 100 percent renewable by 2022. Nando’s also plans to work with its suppliers in order to help them reduce their carbon footprints, too.
In order to help minimize water waste, the chain uses specially developed technology to reduce its water usage. This includes low flow taps and low flush toilets.
In 2017, the company opened its most sustainable restaurant in Cambridge. The location has seat coverings that are made from hemp and nettle fibers, as well as lampshades made from mushrooms.
The restaurant’s walls are covered in plants; the roof features 97 solar panels. The latter provides the restaurant with ten percent of the energy needed to power the building. Nando’s plans to roll out these innovative and sustainable methods to more restaurants in the future.
“With these targets, we will become the first in our industry to combine improvements in environmental sustainability with animal welfare,” Hill added.
This post was last modified on December 15, 2020 6:26 am