Footprint, the UK’s leading sustainability and ESG expert in the food and drink industry, in collaboration with Nestlé Professional, has launched the 2025 Footprint Sustainability Index, the essential resource for the foodservice sector.
Now in its sixth edition, the Index champions practical, scalable solutions that go beyond box-ticking and reporting, offering a clear roadmap on the actions needed to embed purpose into performance. From the rising importance of data and digital infrastructure to the growing role of sustainability in attracting both talent and customers, it provides strategic guidance at a pivotal mid-point in the decisive decade for climate action.
In a year shaped by legislative change, cost pressures and environmental uncertainty, the 2025 Footprint Sustainability Index explores how businesses are responding with innovation, resilience and ambition. It highlights the growing importance of ESG integration, AI and digital transformation and regenerative supply chains, all while reinforcing the value of collaboration, knowledge-sharing and supply chain resilience.
Consumer insight throughout the Index demonstrates the urgency and opportunity for meaningful action:
- 56% of people are more likely to visit a venue that openly displays its commitment to reducing carbon
- 36% cite doing the right thing for people and planet as a top priority when choosing an employer
- 61% of younger consumers are actively reducing their meat intake
Over half of consumers are open to AI-designed meals
- 43% are willing to be served by robots
These findings reflect a sector where purpose, technology and environmental responsibility are shaping both brand performance and workforce strategy.
Julia Jones, head of corporate communications and sustainability at Nestlé Professional said: “At Nestlé Professional, we are proud to support a foodservice sector that is facing today’s challenges head-on. The 2025 Footprint Sustainability Index is a toolkit for action.
Packed with insight, the report shows what’s possible when businesses come together to collaborate, innovate and communicate with clarity. From reporting and regulatory readiness to regenerative sourcing and digital transformation, this Index helps map a pathway to a future that is both commercially viable and more environmentally responsible.”
