QSR July 2022

ESG

Restaurants are learning how to be

It’s not easy being green, but green is increas ingly essential. In a 2021 survey of roughly 2,000 executives, two in three said environmental issues are “significantly important to them personally.” In that same survey, conducted by the IBM Insti tute for Business Value (IBM-IBV), 39 percent of the organizations said environmental sustainability was already a top priority in their company and, within three years, 53 percent expect it will have become a top priority. In the consumer-focused, labor-strapped res taurant industry, the significance of environmental sustainability is a driving force behind brand integ rity, corporate responsibility, and bottom-line success. Becoming green-savvy and green-sincere is at the heart of attracting and retaining both con sumers and employees. Across 7,000 consumers surveyed this spring by Censuswide and Deliverect, 43 percent said they are willing to pay more at restaurants that have visible sustainability practices and more than half, 56 percent, would choose a restaurant that uses eco-friendly packaging and does not have single use plastic. That said, more than half (again 56 percent) also doubt restaurants are being transparent about their sustainability practices. Environmental practices and improvements impact recruiting and retention as well: Additional research from IBM-IBV that was released in April reported two-thirds of the workforce are more likely to apply for and accept jobs with environmentally and socially responsible organizations, and nearly half of the respondents said they would accept a lower salary to work at those organizations. Conveying corporate commitments, policies, and quantifiable results are critical. The IBM IBV research also found that, while 86 percent of companies have a sustainability strategy, only 35 percent have acted on that strategy. In restaurant organizations, the challenges and opportunities for transitioning talk into action come in many shades of green. Among the environmental impacts most often targeted for improvements are packaging and recycling, food waste, greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions, and water usage. green-savvy and green-sincere. / BY CONNIE GENTRY

www.qsrmagazine.com | QSR | JULY 2022

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