Win Over CSRD-Conscious Clients with High-Margin Environmentally Friendly Catering

Done right, sustainable catering doesn’t just tick boxes; it boosts profits, streamlines operations, and helps your clients win tenders. Let’s dig into how.

CSRD Is Here, And It’s Changing How Clients Buy Catering

Thanks to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies now need to report their full environmental impact, including Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services like food. In short: your catering business is now part of their climate report card.

By offering sustainable catering services, you’re helping clients stay compliant, reduce emissions, and back up their ESG claims with real data. That’s a huge value-add, and increasingly, a deal-breaker in corporate and public procurement.

Sustainable = Sellable: The Case for Eco Friendly Catering

More businesses are actively looking for eco friendly catering options, especially in tenders, events, and day-to-day corporate dining. Here’s why sustainability sells:

• Cost-conscious clients love efficiency: Reducing food waste, switching to lower-emission ingredients, and optimizing logistics doesn’t just lower emissions—it reduces costs.

• Plant-based is no longer niche: The plant-based food market continues to grow at pace, expected to reach over $77 billion by 2025. From oat milk to mushroom mains, these options are climate-friendly and margin-friendly.

• Sustainability builds trust: 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products, and companies know it. That’s why climate-labeled menus and transparent carbon tracking are becoming standard in sustainable corporate catering.

From Climate Cost to Commercial Edge

Let’s be blunt: no one wants to sacrifice margin in the name of sustainability. The good news? You don’t have to.

With the right tools, sustainable event catering becomes a commercial asset, not a cost centre. Here’s how to make it work:

Focus on low-emission ingredients
Switching to climate-smart protein alternatives and locally sourced produce can reduce a dish’s carbon footprint by up to 80%, with no compromise on flavor or creativity.

Track and reduce food waste
Food waste accounts for 8–10% of global emissions. Caterers who actively measure and reduce waste often see cost savings that directly improve margins.

Standardize carbon data and reporting
Use tools like Klimato to automate carbon calculations, generate client-ready CSRD-aligned reports, and streamline proposal prep. No more guesswork—just clean, credible data.

Make sustainability visible
Use climate labels on menus, footprint summaries in proposals, and climate reports post-event. Help clients show their stakeholders that sustainability isn’t just talk.

Use Emissions Data to Win More Business

Here’s what happens when you shift your offer from “we do food” to “we help you meet your ESG goals”:

• You win tenders over competitors who can’t report emissions
• You upsell climate-smart menus with confidence
• You retain clients who are under pressure to improve Scope 3 performance
• You strengthen your reputation in a fast-changing industry

This isn’t theory, it’s already happening. Klimato users across the UK and Nordics are closing deals thanks to clear, credible, carbon data.

Lead with Climate Impact. Win with Data.

The catering landscape is shifting. And with CSRD in play, sustainable catering has moved from optional to essential.

So don’t wait for clients to ask if you track emissions—lead with it. Offer environmentally friendly catering that delivers on quality, transparency, and performance. Because when sustainability wins, so does your bottom line.

Looking to offer carbon-tracked, CSRD-aligned catering services that boost both climate impact and profit? Let’s talk.