• New supply chain tool gives hospitality a consistent way to engage dairy suppliers about cutting carbon
• First-ever Dairy Industry Standard Interventions set the stage for joined-up action across the supply chain
• Zero Carbon Forum and its members have co-developed the interventions to speed up progress to net zero
23 JULY 2025, LONDON — The Zero Carbon Forum, a not-for-profit representing over a third of the UK’s hospitality and brewing sector across 35,000 sites, has today launched the industry’s first-ever Dairy Industry Standard Interventions, a practical new tool designed to cut carbon emissions from dairy, which make up 10% of the sector’s footprint.
From milk in coffees to cheese on menus, dairy is central to hospitality, but its environmental impact is significant, driven by methane from cows, other on-farm impacts and emissions from processing.
These new standards offer a simple, consistent way for hospitality businesses to engage their dairy suppliers, understand what action is already being taken, and work collaboratively to accelerate change where it’s needed most.
Mark Chapman, Founder and CEO of Zero Carbon Forum, said: “Most of our sector’s emissions come from the supply chain, and dairy alone accounts for 10%. But until now, there’s been no clear or consistent way to tackle it. These interventions bring everyone to the table to encourage suppliers and operators to work together to reduce emissions.”
The benefits go beyond emissions. Reducing carbon helps build resilience across the supply chain, strengthens brand reputation, and improves environmental performance, all key to building a future-fit business.
The new interventions are the result of work by the Forum’s Dairy Action Group, a collective of operators, suppliers and experts who reviewed data, shared insight, and mapped the biggest opportunities to drive down emissions.
Zero Carbon Forum members involved in the action group include: Pizza Pilgrims, PizzaExpress, Pizza Hut Restaurants, Nando’s, Burger King, Azzurri Group (Ask, Zizzi, Coco di Mama), Mitchell & Butlers, St Austell Brewery and Rare Restaurants.
Built around proven, science-backed levers, the interventions will help Forum members and wholesalers work with their suppliers to:
• Quickly identify emissions hotspots
• Understand whether current efforts are delivering results
• Share best practice and focus investment where it’s most effective
Standardising the approach means reduced supplier fatigue, better quality data, and consistent insight across the sector so hospitality businesses can compare like-for-like and act with confidence.
“Initiatives such as this which bring greater consistency to information requests across the supply chain are welcome. This standard set of questions to understand sustainability actions in dairy will help reduce the administrative burden on farmers and processors – freeing up more time to focus on delivery. Shared understanding and practical cooperation across the chain to support measurable progress is key, and we believe this initiative is a valuable step in that direction.” Dr Judith Bryans, CEO of Dairy UK.
The standard interventions, endorsed by Bidfood, Pizza Express, and Azzurri, will be rolled out to all Zero Carbon Forum members and made available to wholesalers and wider industry partners.
Mark added: “This is just the start. Real change will come from working side by side with our supply chain – asking the right questions consistently, acting on what we learn, and working together to go faster. Because the quicker we cut emissions, the more we all stand to gain.”
The Zero Carbon Forum has started on a set of interventions for the beef industry, representing over 15% of hospitality’s emissions. The Forum is working with farming groups such as the NFU and Grassroots farming and the beef interventions will be launched later this year.
Further information about the Dairy Industry Standard Interventions is available to download on the Forum’s Free Resources page.
