Nandos expands eco credentials with more plant-based offerings and improved chicken welfare

27 Jul 2020 --- Nando’s has revealed its latest commitments to simultaneously help fight climate change and improve the living conditions and welfare of chickens. This includes new partnerships to develop a welfare strategy and signing the global Better Chicken Commitment to have happier, healthier chickens in higher-quality conditions with more room to roam and live. The popular restaurant chain also promises to increase its plant-based menu offerings as part of the new commitments.

Higher welfare chickens typically have a higher carbon footprint, so Nando’s has committed to a fully integrated approach which ensures these two important issues go hand-in-hand as we collectively work towards a healthier, happier and more sustainable planet.

Building on a 40 percent reduction in its carbon footprint since 2015, Nando’s also commits to achieving absolute zero direct emissions and reducing the carbon footprint of a Nando’s meal by a further 50 percent by 2030 while pledging significant improvements to chicken welfare by 2026.

“Over the last four years our sustainability initiatives have significantly reduced our carbon footprint, but we are launching ambitious new commitments which will set a strong example for what our industry can do to make a genuine difference,” says 

Colin Hill, Nando’s CEO for the UK and Ireland. “With these targets, we will become the first in our industry to combine improvements in environmental sustainability with animal welfare.”

These latest commitments represent the most comprehensive and ambitious commitment in Nando’s 28-year history.  Nando’s started its sustainability journey many years ago and has already achieved key milestones, including reducing the carbon footprint of the average meal by 40 percent since 2015 and donating over two million meals to local charities through the “No Chuckin’ Our Chicken” program.

However, the chicken restaurant chain recognizes that there is a lot more to do to become a truly sustainable business. Nando’s is the first restaurant group in Europe with an approved Science Based Target, and, while conscious of the scale of the challenge ahead, Nando’s will achieve this goal by an absolute reduction in carbon emissions, as opposed to through carbon offsetting. 

Science Based Targets are targets that are in line with the latest climate science outlining what is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – to limit global warming well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. 

To achieve these goals, Nando’s immediate priorities are achieving 100 percent renewable energy: While almost all UK restaurants’ electricity supplies are 100 percent renewable, the company also commits to making all UK restaurant gas supplies 100 percent renewable by 2022, starting with at least 40 percent renewable gas by October.

Nando’s will work with its suppliers and support them in reducing their own carbon footprint, especially working with chicken suppliers and experts in the industry to reduce the carbon footprint of chicken feed.  

The food team, which tests and develops the menu offering, is committed to and actively working on increasing the group’s plant-based menu offering.

Nando’s will continue to influence wider industry change through ongoing partnerships with the Sustainable Restaurant Association, Future Planet and other partners and will continue to use its position on the UK Round Table on Sustainable Soy to reduce deforestation. 

Committing to transparent Science Based Target reporting: Over the past 12 months, Nando’s has been working with leading industry experts from Carbon Intelligence to agree its Science Based Carbon Reduction Targets. Now, the company believes it’s time to deliver on this commitment and be fully transparent in showing Nando’s progress over the next ten years.

In addition to the ten-year Science Based sustainability targets, Nando’s is acutely aware of the continuous need to raise animal welfare standards, both as a business and across the industry, and believes that the issues of carbon reduction and animal welfare are deeply interlinked. 

It has also partnered with Compassion in World Farming, FAI Farms and the Soil Association to introduce a new long-term chicken welfare policy. The policy will include a range of key welfare metrics so Nando’s can measure and track its progress to help drive real change in the chicken industry. 

In the short term, Nando’s has signed the Better Chicken Commitment, which means that it pledges to fully implement higher standards of welfare for chickens in its supply chain by 2026.

With this commitment, Nando’s pledges to give its chickens better lives, and is working with suppliers and industry groups to: 

- Using a breed of chicken that is naturally slower growing: This breed is a stronger, healthier chicken that has already been proven to enjoy increased playing and jumping, which in the chicken industry is a true sign of health and wellbeing. These birds will be given more space in which to roam and live.
- Working in partnership with farmers: Collaborating to help deliver improved farming practices that add value to both the birds and the farms themselves.
- Investing in research: Supporting studies to advance understanding of how Nando’s can further reduce the impact of chicken feed on its carbon footprint. 

On top of this, Nando’s will continue its commitment to serve 100 percent British chicken, fresh never frozen Red Tractor assured. Nando’s never has and never will use chlorinated chicken, it says.

“Going public on these ambitious, science-based targets is both bold and laudable. No one foodservice business can deliver the required changes on their own and we sincerely hope that this major commitment will inspire other operators to measure their impact and set their own targets so that together we can make food good,” says Andrew Stephen, CEO, The Sustainable Restaurant Association.

“Signing up to the Better Chicken Commitment, a move that will improve the lives of millions of birds, is another significant step, and again one we trust will encourage even more businesses to follow suit,” he affirms. 

Edited by Gaynor Selby