SUSTAINABILITY
BOCA is a home-grown concept, born in the desert, and we have consistently showcased the UAE as being far from a barren land. The Hajar mountains of the North are biologically rich habitats, while the Central Region’s oases are home to modern hydroponic, organic, and traditional farms, and the bounty from the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean is plentiful. We live in abundance; we just have to look a bit closer and work slightly harder.
In addition to sourcing ingredients locally and supporting local farmers and fishermen, BOCA has stepped up efforts to reduce waste with the help of its own Waste Officer. The restaurant continuously audits kitchen and bar operations, refuses single use plastic from suppliers and to customers, operates a demand-driven inventory, and prefers working with like-minded partners across the value chain.
In its location in DIFC, Dubai, BOCA’s leadership team is entirely made up of women, with the kitchen helmed by Executive Chef Patricia Roig. BOCA runs on 100% renewable energy and has just published its first carbon emissions report detailing its impact on the environment.
BOCA stands on these sustainability pillars.
1. Champion Local Produce.
2. Proactive and Conscious Waste Management.
3. Valuing Resources: Renewable Energy.
4. Calculating & Reporting Carbon Emissions, and Sustainability Ratings.
5. Sustainability for the Community.
• You can find BOCA’s sustainability pillars, and our journey detailed in the recently published SUSTAINABILITY MANIFESTO
BOCA proudly announces its attainment of a prestigious three-star rating in the globally recognized Food Made Good Standard . This accolade, awarded by The Sustainable Restaurant Association, underscores BOCA’s unwavering commitment to effecting positive change for both people and the planet. In 2023 BOCA subjected its sustainability practices to the rigorous scrutiny of the Food Made Good Standard, only to achieve the highest possible rating—a first for the UAE and the region and aligning BOCA with a select group of 70 global hospitality establishments that have achieved three stars. Click here to know more.
Other important documents published:
• ‘LOCAL INGREDIENTS: An Illustrated Guide’
• BOCA’s Carbon Emissions Report, 2021 by elementsix
• Renewable Energy – iREC Certificate 2021
• Renewable Energy – iREC Certificate 2022
We are currently going through our Carbon Emissions Report calculation for 2022 by elementsix. As part of the project, elementsix will analyze the restaurant’s operations and production lifecycle in its location in DIFC to assess greenhouse gas emissions under rigorous global accreditation standards. This will include the calculation of Scope 1 (direct emissions), Scope 2 (indirect emissions that result from the purchase of energy) and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions across the entire value chain). elementsix is a newly established advisory firm in Dubai that offers turnkey solutions in the fields of sustainability and carbon abatement, promoting resilience against climate threats. The team of elementsix has over 40 combined years of experience in developing greenhouse gas emission reduction projects and programs under the strictest accreditation standards around the world.
Additionally, BOCA is going through the Food Made Good rating. Food Made Good (FMG) is the world’s largest food service sustainability programme developed by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. The FMG framework covers three pillars of Sourcing, Society & Environment, and takes a broad and holistic view of businesses sustainability practices within each of these pillars.
BOCA is Gault&Millau 2022 UAE “Sustainable Kitchen of the Year”. Gault&Millau is one of the world’s most respected independent restaurant reviewers. And Gulf Sustainability Award, Sustainable Business Model Gold Award winner in 2021.
BOCA have received a coveted MICHELIN Green Star and have been added to the MICHELIN Guide at this year’s MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2023 star revelation. BOCA now joins an exclusive list of global restaurants that stand out for their unwavering commitment to sustainable gastronomy.
Check out some of our other sustainability contributions and entities we are associated with and follow in Dubai and the UAE:
- BOCA’s Sustainability Journey – Case Study by Aiman Hasan Khan
- Artist’s Garden – Desert is a Forest by Sunoj D and Namrata – Jameel Arts Centre.
- UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021 – 2023
- International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
- National Food Loss and Waste Initiative: Ne’ma
- Omar Shihab, BOCA’s Founder & Chief Sustainability Officer in the Press
- Azraq
- Gulf for Good
- The UAE Restaurant Group
- K9 Friends & The Annual Puppy Ball