NEWS | Industry Updates


Rhea steps up its ESG efforts: Cerved Rating Agency upgrades rating to “BBB”


Local MP visits the AVA


Rhea, a global manufacturer of coffee machines, has received an upgraded ESG rating from Cerved Rating Agency, moving from “BB” (medium) to “BBB” (high) with a score of 66.6 out of 100. Its ESG risk management capability, rated “high,” places the company above the median for the “Furniture & Consumer Durables” reference cluster. The upgraded rating reflects Rhea’s ongoing commitment to embedding ESG


practices more deeply into its business strategy, with sustainability increasingly positioned as a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and long-term value. Cerved Rating Agency’s analysis finds Rhea well above its peer group


across ESG risk and opportunity management, with a systematic approach to incorporating environmental, social, and governance criteria into strategic decision-making. In recent years, Rhea has been steadily strengthening its sustainability strategy


through initiatives spanning product innovation, corporate governance, and dedicated policies covering its workforce and supply chain.


Among the factors behind the upgraded rating: • adoption of a Group Sustainability Plan for 2024–2026; • establishment of a Sustainability Committee, with specific ESG responsibilities assigned at Board level;


• publication of a Sustainability Report covering the entire group, including overseas branch offices, based on a double materiality analysis;


• joining the UN Global Compact, reinforcing the company’s commitment to international principles of sustainability and corporate responsibility.


On the environmental side, the rating reflects above-sector performance,


supported by an integrated management system certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, alongside initiatives targeting energy efficiency and the circular economy. Andrea Pozzolini, chief executive of Rhea said: “There is still more to do


in the years ahead — strengthening our supply chain policies, setting more rigorous environmental targets, developing a climate transition plan. For Rhea, sustainability isn’t a finish line. It’s a continuous process of evolution and strategic integration.” Stefano Macchi, Rhea board member for sustainability said: “Moving from BB


to BBB is meaningful recognition of what we’ve built over recent years. More than that, it confirms that sustainability is central to how we run this business — innovating our products and processes, investing in our people, and creating lasting value for everyone we work with.”


4 | vendinginternational-online.com


Sir Alec Shelbrooke KBE MP, and Councillor Sam Firth to its offices in Wetherby last month. The Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA) was pleased to welcome The Right Honourable They met with the AVA team to gain insight


into how the association supports its members and represents the vending and automated retail industry. Discussions focused on the key legislative and regulatory challenges currently facing the industry. Topics included the proposed ban on high-


caffeine energy drinks, Defra’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms, and work by the Food Standards Agency and Public Health Scotland on nutritional profiling for products sold through vending and automated retail. David Llewellyn, chief executive of AVA, emphasised the importance of engaging policymakers on these issues. He said: “We are grateful to our local MP for taking the time to visit and engage with us on some of our industry concerns. As a not-for-profit association, the AVA’s role is to ensure policymakers understand the practical realities on the ground, so regulation supports innovation, fairness, and consumer choice rather than unintentionally holding the sector back.” The AVA continues to work closely with government bodies, regulators, and elected representatives to ensure the vending and automated retail industry’s voice is heard as new legislation and policy proposals are developed. It is encouraging members to invite their local


MPs to visit their businesses so they can gain a better understanding of the vending industry and the issues that matter to it – particularly the proposed ban on high caffeine energy drinks. For guidance on arranging a visit, please contact our Public Affairs Manager, Scott Sherlock.


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