Sustainability at Newport Restaurant Group
In 2023, we embarked on a journey inspired by our core values and the idea that our business impacts so much more than just the guests who visit our establishments. Our partnership with Greenplaces allowed us to gain full visibility into our climate impact. Using this information, we formulated our sustainability strategy; a long-term strategic plan to minimize the impact our family of businesses has on the planet. Our progress and initiatives are outlined below, but the work is ongoing.
of Renewable Energy Credits purchased since 2023.
That's as much electricity as powering 1,186.00 American homes for a year.
of carbon offset since 2023.
That's like taking 1,413.00 cars off the road, permanently.
Knowing where we are is the best place to start. Through our partnership with Greenplaces, we collect primary data from our restaurants to calculate our carbon footprints, including Scopes 1, 2, and 3, covering all of our business activities and energy usage. Understanding our carbon emissions and climate impact allows us to prioritize sustainability initiatives that lead to a healthier planet.
We reduce our Scope 2 Electricity consumption by investing in the production of renewable energy to put 100% renewable energy back into the electric grid in the exact quantity we consume. In 2022, we invested in the Merricourt Wind Farm, located in South Dakota, and we intend to renew this investment for our consumption in 2023 onward.
Taking steps to help the environment is very important to employees and has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to keep them engaged with their company. A great way to increase employee involvement is to educate them on our projects and get them involved in our initiatives. Our team helps us to lower our business's carbon footprint while also picking new energy-efficient practices to adopt in our restaurants.
To support our value of community, we choose to source our ingredients from local, New-England-based vendors whenever we can.Â
Each year farmers are faced with unpredictable growing conditions, rising temperatures, a rapidly growing population, and evolving nutritional needs. In addition, farmers are under pressure to grow more food using less. This project combines field sensors, AI-driven analytics, and agronomy expertise to help farmers implement climate-smart farming practices such as zero-tillage, optimized fertilizer rates, and reduced farm equipment emissions. In addition to sequestered carbon, these practices have important benefits for water quality and biodiversity. By modernizing farm data management systems and developing decision support tools, growers can sharply enhance the efficiency, sustainability, productivity, and profitability of today’s farms. Revenue from these offsets is used by farmers so they may continue to improve their agricultural practices sustainably and combat the adverse effects that climate change has on their livelihoods.
The African Biomass Energy Conservation PoA – Malawi Biomass Conservation project promotes environmental sustainability and improves the livelihoods of communities in the northern, central, and southern districts of Malawi by disseminating over 8,000 improved cookstoves to households. Not only are the cookstoves more efficient than traditional ones; they use less wood, so they conserve biomass and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. In addition to providing environmentally-friendly stoves, the project teaches families enhanced kitchen and firewood management, including tutorials on meal preparation, the benefits of dry firewood, and pot lid best practices. This helps them optimize cooking time and minimize indoor air pollution which can cause respiratory illnesses, like asthma, or more serious conditions, like cancer. Finally, the African Biomass Energy Conservation PoA – Malawi Biomass Conservation project stands out as the highest-rated cookstove initiative on BeZero Carbon with a BBB rating. This demonstrates its exceptional commitment to quality and impact as BeZero Carbon is one of the leading risk-based frameworks for assessing the efficacy of carbon credits across all sectors of the voluntary carbon market.
The Burn Stoves Project in Kenya is dedicated to improving health, reducing environmental impact, and alleviating economic burdens by providing access to efficient, energy-saving cookstoves. Through carbon finance, the project supports the sale and distribution of improved stoves to households and institutions, reducing fuel costs and deforestation while improving air quality. Burn Manufacturing has established a factory in Ruiru, Kenya, to produce these stoves and distribute them through a network of partners, ensuring sustainable market development.
This project aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by diverting unsold items from landfills and incinerators. These items, including food, personal care products, and consumer packaged goods, often go to waste due to aesthetic flaws, short expiration dates, or overstock. By rescuing and redistributing these products through a network of social organizations, the project provides food assistance to communities in need while significantly reducing carbon emissions from waste disposal.
Buffalo Gap is a 988.3MW onshore wind power project. It is located in Texas, the US. According to GlobalData, who tracks and profiles over 170,000 power plants worldwide, the project is currently active.
The 250 MW Roosevelt Wind Project located in New Mexico became operational in 2015. EDF Renewables handled the development of this project. Located in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, Roosevelt Wind Project consists of 125 2-MW turbines that prevent 725,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The electricity generated by the project is supplied to Southwestern Public Service Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement. Roosevelt Wind Project is EDF Renewables’ first facility in the state of New Mexico. Its construction began in January 2015 and was completed the following December.