Air, water and soil pollution sustainability matters are mostly supported by the Responsible sourcing and On-site resource efficiency pillars of our Climate & Nature strategy, detailed in section 2.2.2 Environmental information. The corresponding policies, actions and targets are summarized in this table.
Sodexo’s Climate Transition Plan to Achieve Net Zero by 2040
Climate & Nature core pillars
Responsible sourcing
Policies
Supplier Code of Conduct
Sodexo commitment to protect forests and peatlands
Sodexo sustainable seafood supplier charter
Targets and commitments
- Deforestation and conversion free supply chain globally by 2030 for palm oil, soy, beef and paper products
- 100% of its tier 1 contracted suppliers sign its Code of Conduct by 2025
- 100% sustainable fish and seafood by 2025
- Embedding climate and environmental criteria into sourcing and procurement processes
Sustainable eating
Policies
No specific policy from this pillar is linked to ESRS E2
Targets and commitments
No specific target or commitment from this pillar is linked to ESRS E2
On-site resource efficiency
Policies
Sodexo sustainability position paper - Sodexo's approach to water resources
Targets and commitments
No specific target or commitment from this pillar is linked to ESRS E2
Air, water and soil pollution
For Sodexo, pollution-related impacts are primarily indirect, given our role as a service provider operating mainly on client sites. The materiality assessment confirmed that air pollution is not material for the Group, as related GHG emissions are already addressed under ESRS E1 (Climate Change). Similarly, soil pollution is not considered material for Sodexo’s own operations or downstream activities.
Upstream in our value chain, agricultural production systems are the main contributors to pollution risks, notably through fertilizers, pesticides, and deforestation-related erosion. These are addressed through Sodexo’s responsible sourcing practices, supplier engagement, and sustainability commitments.
STRATEGY AND POLICIES [E2-1]
As a service provider, Sodexo does not directly control the impacts related to air, water and soil pollution, but acknowledges its responsibility to influence them. Through responsible sourcing and supply chain engagement, Sodexo actively works with its suppliers and partners to minimize this impact through several initiatives. In Fiscal 2025, no pollution-related incident has occurred on our own sites.
In Fiscal 2024, Sodexo conducted a nature and biodiversity risk assessment using the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) Steps 1&2 methodology, aiming to identify priority locations, commodities and business units related to water, land use, pollution and biodiversity. The results confirmed the indirect impact of Sodexo on pollution-related topics and found that 99% of Sodexo’s nature and biodiversity impact, including those related to pollution, occur upstream, particularly in agricultural production systems.
TARGETS AND ACTIONS [E2-2, E2-3]
Sodexo works with its suppliers and partners to reduce pollutants-related emissions across the value chain, by:
- promoting sustainable agriculture and safer alternatives to harmful discharges, including chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, across the value chain;
- engaging with its key cleaning chemical suppliers to promote the usage of sustainable chemicals and chemicals free from substances of concern.