Sustainable Business & Climate Action Policy

Purpose 

At Hobbs House Bakery, our purpose is to nourish people and communities for generations to come. 

We believe great bread should have a positive impact on our people, communities and planet. This policy sets out how we manage our environmental responsibilities, work with suppliers, reduce our climate impact and continuously improve our performance. 

Our Commitments 

Climate & Environment 

• Support the global ambition to limit warming to 1.5°C
• Work towards Carbon Net Zero by 2032
• Monitor and reduce our energy consumption against output
• Optimise our transportation and distribution
• Source 100% of our flour from healthier soils by 2032
• Reduce waste and prevent food waste wherever possible
• Protect biodiversity through our sourcing and operational decisions
• Continually reduce packaging impacts

Responsible Supply Chains 

• Work with suppliers who share our values
• Prioritise local sourcing where practical
• Survey suppliers in line with our supplier approval procedure
• Assess environmental, human rights, labour and ethical risks through supplier approval and ingredients monitoring processes
• Encourage suppliers to measure and reduce their own impacts

People & Communities 

• Be a local employee of choice, recruiting local people who live within ten miles of their place of work
• Invest in training and development
• Promote fair, safe and inclusive workplaces
• Support local communities and tackle food poverty
• Maintain ethical business practices and responsible governance. 

How We Deliver This 

Supplier Approval 

All new suppliers must: 

• Complete our Supplier Approval Questionnaire every three years
• Be reviewed and approved before supply commences
• Provide relevant food safety, environmental and ethical information where applicable

Higher-risk suppliers may be subject to additional review or evidence requests. 

Procurement 

When selecting suppliers we consider: 

• Product quality and safety 
• Environmental impact
• Climate impact
• Human rights and labour standards
• Animal welfare (where applicable)
• Locality and resilience of supply
• Alignment with our values 

Climate Action 

We maintain a Climate Action Plan that identifies opportunities to reduce emissions across: 

• Scope 1 emissions 
• Scope 2 emissions
• Scope 3 emissions
• Supply chain impacts
• Transport and logistics
• Packaging and waste
• Ingredient sourcing 

The plan is reviewed annually and updated as our business evolves. 

Governance 

Responsibility sits with: 

• Board of Directors
• Senior Management Team 
• Compliance Team
• Department Managers

Environmental and sustainability considerations are included in business planning, procurement and operational decision-making. 

Measuring our Progress, Reporting & Continuous Improvement 

We believe sustainability is a journey of continual improvement. 

To monitor progress, we: 

• Measure our carbon footprint annually
• Maintain and review our Climate Action Plan currently using Giki platform.
• Publish an annual Impact Report
• Use KPIs, reviewed twice yearly
• Review supplier performance
• Set annual sustainability objectives
• Update targets as new opportunities arise
• Progress is reviewed by the Board and shared with stakeholders through our annual Impact Report.

Review 

This policy is reviewed annually or following significant changes to legislation or business operations.