External Climate Action Plan

1.Introduction

Purpose

This Climate Action Plan sets out how Le Nouveau Chef supports the global ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, the concrete actions we will take to reduce our impact, who is responsible for delivering them, and how we engage our stakeholders.

Scope

This plan applies to the operations of Le Nouveau Chef and covers our own operations and our value chain. As a European workwear manufacturer, we recognise that our largest impact lies not in our offices but in our products and supply chain, and that circular business models are our primary lever to reduce it.

2. Our climate commitment

Le Nouveau Chef is committed to supporting the global ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. As a small enterprise we are not required under B Corp Standards V2.2 to run a full greenhouse-gas inventory. However, we choose to go further and commit to:

measure our operational carbon footprint annually GHG Protocol methodology, already in place;
extend measurement to a full Scope 1, 2 and 3 footprint from 2027, including product-related emissions, aligned with the product-level data required under the EU Digital Product Passport (ESPR);
track our emissions annually as the outcome measure against the actions set out in this plan.

3. Our carbon footprint (baseline)

We measured our corporate carbon footprint for the 2024 reporting year, covering our office and distribution centre. Product-related emissions (Scope 3, Category 1) are not yet measured, see Section 7.

Scope	Source	2024 (t CO₂e)	Share
Scope 1	Company vehicles (mobile combustion)	14.96	20%
Scope 2	Purchased electricity & heating	9.06	12%
Scope 3	Business travel (mainly flights)	20.29	27%
Scope 3	Employee commuting & home working	21.29	28%
Scope 3	Fuel- & energy-related activities	8.16	11%
Scope 3	Waste & purchased goods (office)	1.25	2%
Total	Measured operational footprint	75.01	100%

Base year: 2024. Re-measured annually; the 2025 footprint replaces this baseline once finalised if materially different.

4. Targets and actions

We do not set fixed GHG-reduction percentages; we track emissions annually as the outcome.

4.1 Operational targets

Focus area	SMART target	Baseline	By
Company vehicles	Transition 100% of company-owned/leased vehicles to zero-emission	14.96 t	2030
Renewable energy	100% of purchased electricity, office and vehicle charging, verifiably renewable	9.06 t	2028
Commuting	Annual commuting survey + sustainable-commuting incentive scheme (bike/OV/EV/hybrid working)	21.29 t	2027
Waste	Reduce operational waste; maximise separation and recycling at the distribution centre	1.05 t	2028

4.2 Value-chain strategy: circularity as our Scope 3 lever

Our products carry our largest footprint. We treat circular business models as our Scope 3 reduction strategy: extending product life and closing material loops reduces upstream (Cat 1) and end-of-life (Cat 12) emissions while strengthening resilience and customer relationships.

Initiative	Commitment	By
Take-back	COMMIT Launch a B2B take-back scheme with 1 key accounts; measure kg collected and % routed to reuse/recycling.	2028
Recycled & lower-impact materials	COMMIT Increase procurement spend on recycled/certified materials to 25%	2030
Reuse via schools	INVESTIGATE Offer take-back garments still in good condition to partner schools: measure units reused. Doubles as brand exposure to future professionals.	2028
Durability & repair	INVESTIGATE Embed durability & repairability criteria in product design (ESPR-aligned); scope a repair/reinforcement service.	2028
Product-as-a-service	INVESTIGATE Assess a uniform rental / product-as-a-service model for institutional customers; feasibility depends on a professional laundering partner given food-preparation staining.	2028

5. Resources for implementation

Human resources

Sustainability & compliance: owns the plan, coordinates delivery, assembles the annual footprint.
Process manager: CO₂ and environmental data; annual measurement cycle.
Procurement: supplier climate engagement, recycled-material sourcing, take-back and upstream data.
Product & design: durability, repairability and recyclability criteria; circular models.
HR & facility: commuting scheme, travel policy, energy and charge-card contracts, facilities.
Warehouse manager: waste reduction; reverse-logistics handling for take-back.
Owner/CEO & COO: approve capital expenditure (fleet, energy, circular pilots); governance oversight.

Technical & material resources

Annual GHG measurement via partner; Scope 3 extension from 2027 built on the existing supplier data pipeline.
Capital budget for vehicle electrification, renewable energy and circular pilots, approved through the annual strategic plan.

6. Working with our stakeholders

Stakeholder	How we engage
Production partners	Consulted on renewable energy and lower-impact materials; climate and recycled-content criteria embedded in the Responsible Business Conduct.
Customers	Engaged on take-back and, where relevant, service/rental models; supplied with durability and end-of-life guidance.
Schools	Offered reused workwear in good condition; engaged as a reuse channel and as a community of future professionals.
Employees	Surveyed annually on commuting; offered incentives and hybrid working; involved in reduction actions.
Logistics partners	Asked for emissions data; lower-carbon carriers and modes (rail/sea over air) preferred at re-tender.
Governing body	Approves the plan and capital expenditure; oversees progress at least every 36 months.

7. Measurement roadmap and wider impact

From 2027 we will measure full Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, beginning with Scope 3 Category 1 (purchased goods) via our tier-1 production partners, aligned with the product-level data required under the EU Digital Product Passport (ESPR). This makes our circular initiatives measurable as emission reductions.

We recognise that focusing only on carbon can create trade-offs elsewhere, for example, electric-vehicle battery materials carry biodiversity and community risks. Our European-made, durability-focused and increasingly circular approach is how we address climate impact while safeguarding wider environmental and social value.

8. Governance, review and approval

This Climate Action Plan is approved by the highest governing body of Le Nouveau Chef and is published on our website so that stakeholders can easily access it. It is reviewed and updated at least every 36 months; progress is tracked annually against the targets above.