Aramark

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
The company has listed its eight priority areas and links them to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. While setting these priority areas is a step in the right direction, the company has an opportunity to identify and prioritise its process for determining the topics where it can have the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Aramark discloses that accountability for and oversight of its environmental, social and governance issues lie with the board of directors. However, it does not disclose its highest governance body’s remuneration policy regarding sustainability.

Stakeholder engagement
Aramark discloses a few of the outcomes of its stakeholder engagement but not how these have been integrated into its sustainability strategy. It has an opportunity to disclose how it identified its most relevant stakeholders, along with information on how the outcomes of the process are integrated into its sustainability strategy.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
Aramark has set a goal to reduce its scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15% by 2025, but it does not report progress against this target. It could improve its performance by aligning its target to the 1.5-degree climate scenario and publicly disclosing its progress against it.

Food loss and waste
Aramark has set a target to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. While it discloses some qualitative examples of how it is doing this, it is unclear what progress has been made to date. Aramark could increase its level of disclosure by providing quantitative evidence of reducing food loss and waste across its operations.

Plastic use and packaging waste
Aramark is committed to reducing the use of single-use plastics across its global foodservice operations by the end of 2022. It provides examples of progress, such as stating that it will expand its offerings of reusable water bottles, coffee mugs and take-out containers. However, Aramark’s commitment applies only to single-use plastics. The company has an opportunity to set a time-bound target to reduce all forms of plastic use and disclosing progress against this target.

Animal welfare
While Aramark has a commitment on animal welfare that addresses animal welfare issues, it does not apply to all key geographies that are relevant to the company. It has an opportunity to set a time-bound target that addresses key animal welfare issues.

Availability of healthy foods
Aramark discloses that it has reduced calories, saturated fat and sodium by an average of 20% across menus served in workplaces, hospital cafes and university dining halls. The company can further improve by setting a time-bound target for the percentage of healthy foods on its menus and reporting progress against it.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company mentions collaborative efforts with organisations such as Swipe Out Hunger and the Food Recovery Network to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods. However, it could improve its performance by providing evidence of strategic commercial activities designed to make healthy foods more accessible and affordable for vulnerable groups.

Clear and transparent labelling
Aramark provides evidence of how it makes nutrition information visible to and intuitive for its customers, specifically by using the US Food and Drug Administration’s national menu labelling display criteria. However, it has an opportunity to disclose the percentage of menus for which nutrition information commitments have been rolled out.

Child labour
Aramark prohibits child labour in its own operations and supply chain and requires suppliers to verify the age of its employees. However, it does not provide evidence of a monitoring and verification process for its own operations, such as through specialised child labour audits, or wider human rights audits that address the issue.

Forced labour
Aramark commits to prohibiting forced labour in its operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard. In addition, the company prohibits suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement. However, while it prohibits suppliers from interfering with workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, the company does not demonstrate the same commitment in its own operations.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
Aramark requires that suppliers ensure working conditions for migrant workers are agreeable, the company can improve by providing evidence of support activities that improve the health and safety of vulnerable groups.

Aramark provides a grievance mechanism that is accessible by its own workers, but not to external parties. The company expects its supply chain partners to commit to respecting the ILO workers’ rights. However, no further policies or commitments related to the respect for human rights were found in the public domain. Therefore, Aramark disclosures point towards a lack of responsibility in protecting basic human rights in its operations and supply chains.

Aramark has a publicly available policy committing it to respect the health and safety of workers, without disclosing any relevant data. On gender equality, the company states that 30% of its board is composed of women. However, further evidence of commitments related to key decent work issues were found in the public domain. Therefore, Aramark does not demonstrate that it provides secure, safe, and healthy workplaces, where workers are fairly remunerated and have a meaningful say in decision making.

Aramark has a publicly available policy prohibiting bribery and corruption, but no commitments were found around personal data protection extending beyond the U.S, nor on bribery and corruption in its supply chain. Moreover, Aramark does not disclose a global tax strategy and its income tax payments for all its jurisdictions. In and of itself, it is not possible to say that Aramark’s disclosures account for a commitment towards an ethical business conduct.