Under the umbrella of COP28, we’ve witnessed the coming together of so many bright minds and communities from across the globe—all striving to find solutions to the climate crisis and searching for real ways to build a greener planet.

For the TGP team, we’ve been proud to play our role in showcasing how the F&B sector can have a powerful impact on many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.  

From investing in more sustainable food systems to using restaurant menus to encourage more responsible consumption, COP28 has allowed us to showcase how integral food can be to the climate agenda.

In light of all this, below are some truly inspiring stories from our partners and fellow actionists!

Q Coffee

As well as delivering real change as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development program in partnership with Sustainable Growers, Christine Condo and her team have built a brand that people love—a favourite among coffee fans visiting COP28.

Among other achievements, Q Coffee has helped to provide financial independence to over 724,000 women and has impacted the lives of 2.8 million of their children.

As the climate threatens future sustainability of coffee growing and the livelihoods of anyone who relies on the sector to survive, their work in cultivating more climate resistant crops is more important than ever.

Alexander Smalls

Our team at TGP International had the honour of collaborating with Chef Alexander Smalls to create Alkebulan—the popular African Dining Hall at Expo 2020 Dubai. Open during COP28, this special site is home to a curated collection of diverse culinary voices from across the African continent.

As a recent participant in our Sustainable Hospitality roundtable, Chef Smalls acknowledged the wasteful nature of the food industry and the fact that food has a chance to change relationships and rules of engagement when it comes to sustainability and our food choices.

Loui Blake

We’ve been privileged to partner with Loui Blake on several projects at COP28 and beyond, including through the debut of a first-of-its-kind PXB Vegan Food Truck Park—bringing together 5 of the world’s leading plant-based restaurants.

As an award-winning restauranteur who specialises in reimagining business as a vehicle for solving problems and helping people to recognise veganism as a viable solution for many of the world's biggest challenges, we truly feel his concepts are at the heart of the change we’re all striving for when it comes to achieving greater sustainability through F&B.

Faida Soboune

As Food Safety and Sustainability Manager at TGP, Faida is central to the way we strive for more sustainable outcomes, whether this is through environmentally friendly food packaging or communicating our priorities to our partners.

Food production and consumption have significant environmental footprints, however, with the right solutions and motivation, the F&B sector can–and should–serve as a powerful agent of change.

Faida and the entire team have been privileged to put the sustainability agenda top of mind when it comes to F&B, as well as help develop the Hospitality Strategy and Plan for Expo City Dubai, which represents a hub for climate action as well as a fertile ground for the next generation of culinary innovations.

Driving the Food Sustainability Agenda through Food at COP28

By heading up F&B for the event and supporting the sustainability strategy of COP28’s Actionist Campaign, TGP sought to provide the restaurant industry with a framework for adopting carbon-neutral processes and showcase how our F&B choices can impact the environment.

A few major ways did this included:

• Careful selection of vendors based on their abilities to provide environmentally and socially responsible food and beverages, with menus across the whole of Expo City Dubai meeting the 1.5 low carbon footprint threshold.

• Collaboration with renowned chefs from across the globe to design menus that were two-thirds vegan and vegetarian.

• The debut of a first-of-its-kind PXB Vegan Food Truck Park featuring 5 world-class plant-based restaurants.

• Efforts to minimise and mitigate the impact of food-related waste, including collaboration with Notpla, the London-founded, Earthshot prize-winning sustainable packaging company, and Palmade, the Dubai-based, family-owned company producing disposable cutlery from natural and compostable date leaves.

If you're looking for advice or support in bringing sustainable practices into your F&B project, whether it's through sustainable design, food menus or working practices, don't hesitate to get in touch with our team!