Year in Review: ESG Initiatives
Planet, people and acting with purpose
We present a selection of high-impact initiatives that underlined how the industry took environmental, sustainability and governance programmes forward in 2025.
ARI drives ‘Journey with Purpose’ mission
To mark World Earth Day on 22 April, leading travel retailer ARI announced details of the next stage in its ESG evolution with the launch of a revised 2025-30 strategy under the title ‘Journey with Purpose’.
Developed in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the company outlined an ambitious target – to be the world’s most sustainable travel retailer.
ARI said this is underpinned by “a commitment to driving positive environmental and social change, always staying ahead of growing passenger expectations and delivering ‘Joy On Your Way’ across every step of the journey”.
Full story here.
Examples of how ARI teams are engaged with community activity include this Muscat Duty Free clean-up campaign at Al Hail Beach in Muscat
Saluting sustainable excellence in F&B
SSP Group’s UK division captured the prestigious Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year at the annual Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality Awards in Barcelona in June, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report.
SSP was recognised for its innovative approach to reducing the environmental impact of airport food and retail units. One of our FAB judges commented: “It has long been my view that construction can be better delivered for less environmental impact. Great to see SSP take the lead corporately in an area that really needs leadership given the impact this area can have on the capex (and other investment) commitments of such a large organisation.”
SSP has embedded sustainability across the design, build and operation of its units, which account for approximately 17% of the group’s global carbon footprint.
SSP Group CEO Patrick Coveney said: “This isn’t just about commercial efficiency – it’s about doing what’s right for customers and clients and delivering good returns on great restaurants. By minimising waste, optimising resources and designing for long-term operational efficiency, we’re making real progress toward our sustainability commitments and a more responsible way of operating.”
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One Water and Avolta hit fundraising milestone
Ethical water brand One Water continued its collaboration with Avolta to bring its Travel Trade Awareness Tour to life across 38 World Duty Free locations in 2025.
To date, One Water sales through World Duty Free stores have raised over £2.95 million (US$4.01 million), helping to fund clean water projects in communities such as rural Malawi.
Proceeds from One Water bottle sales at UK airports have helped rehabilitate broken water points, install gravity-fed and solar-powered systems, and restore clean water access to health clinics and schools.
Full story here.
Lagardère Travel Retail backs decarbonisation drive with Low Emission Sustainable Sourcing
In July, Lagardère Travel Retail joined eight French retailers to announce the Low Emission Sustainable Sourcing initiative, which later came to life in November.
This sustainability collective is aimed at reducing CO₂ emissions across the supply chain in the food and non-food retail sector, while enhancing transparency.
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KOSÉ Travel Retail hosts SEKKISEI SAVE the BLUE conservation activities in Hainan and Okinawa
KOSÉ Travel Retail this year stepped up its environmental advocacy efforts through two major conservation programmes in Hainan and Okinawa under its SEKKISEI SAVE the BLUE project, which has been running since 2009.
In June, KOSÉ Travel Retail partnered with Wangfujing Duty Free and the Blue Ribbon Ocean Conservation Association for a mangrove-planting initiative in Hainan.
Further advancing its environmental efforts under the SEKKISEI SAVE the BLUE banner, KOSÉ Travel Retail also ran a beach clean-up and coral-planting initiative in Okinawa in May.
The moves underline how KOSÉ Corporation aims to reinforce its ecological responsibility through sustained investment in community-driven environmental programmes across Asia.
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London Supply strikes a powerful chord to underline ESG credentials
In August, Duty Free Shop Puerto Iguazú and Fundación Grupo London Supply hosted ‘Batuque Circular’, an educational music event that combined the energy of a live batucada (a style of Brazilian samba) with a powerful message about caring for the planet.
The show, which included more than ten performances, underlined London Supply’s ESG credentials while encouraging a sense of environmental responsibility among children in a creative and playful way.
Full story here.
Everrich Duty Free advances ESG strategy
Everrich Duty Free strengthened its sustainability credentials this year by achieving ISO 14064-1 Carbon Footprint Verification at Taoyuan International Airport, certified by the British Standards Institution.
This achievement highlights the company’s efforts to contribute to global responses to climate change and sustainable development.
Everrich Duty Free continues to advance its CSR and ESG agenda, leading the way as Taiwan’s first travel retailer to issue a sustainability report and to voluntarily complete carbon footprints across 13 sites. Its Taoyuan logistics hub alone has reduced nearly 300 metric tonnes of emissions in the past two years.
Full story here.
Bahrain Duty Free underlines its commitment to planet and community
World Cleanup Day, celebrated globally each year on 20 September, provided a welcome opportunity for Bahrain Duty Free to showcase its commitment to the planet.
Given the parlous state of the environment worldwide, World Cleanup Day is a critical initiative in underlining the dangers facing our planet and tackling its waste crisis.
On this date, Bahrain Duty Free’s ESG team proudly joined hands with the Clean Up Bahrain Organization to make a meaningful contribution to protecting the local environment.
Full story here.
Lining up in support of The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Campaign
In October The Moodie Davitt Report was once again proud to support The Estée Lauder Companies’ annual Breast Cancer Campaign in its 33rd year.
To mark the campaign, ‘Beautifully United to Help End Breast Cancer’, we transformed our homepage and other media platforms with a vibrant pink theme, highlighting our solidarity with one of the world’s most remarkable and sustained Corporate Social Responsibility projects.
‘A Breath for the Planet’
Italian wine & spirits house Bottega joined forces with agroforestry platform Treedom to mark Italy’s Tree Day on 21 November by planting 500 trees across Ecuador, Tanzania and Madagascar, establishing the ‘Bottega Forest – A Breath for the Planet’ initiative.
These countries were chosen as their rich ecosystems face climate risks. Bottega highlighted these initiatives as key to preserving the environment for the well-being of today’s population and future generations, as well as reinforcing its own strong ESG credentials.
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From ideas to action on the vital theme of sustainability at MEADFA
Sustainability in travel retail requires a unified effort; it cannot be achieved through isolated actions.
That was among the core messages from a key session at the Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) Conference in Dubai on 9-11 November, featuring MEADFA Sustainability Committee Head Dr Munif Mohammed and Kreol Group Executive Director Kreol Arakulath, and chaired by TFWA Conference Director Michele Miranda.
Dr Mohammed, also CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Middle East, revealed details of the association’s ground-breaking Environmental, Social and Governance Charter for Action. This foundational document is designed to guide members in how they can combine their efforts in areas such as waste reduction, achieving carbon neutrality and sourcing responsibly.
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The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 349 | 23 December 2025
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 6 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (MA Travel Retail). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please email kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com