Synopsis

Cool Food is a global initiative that helps dining facilities commit to a science-based target to reduce their food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2030 relative to 2015. This paper establishes the baseline estimate for Cool Food members’ collective food-related GHG emissions and also reports the group’s 2030 reduction target.

In total, members reported more than 129,000 tonnes (t) of food purchased in the base year. If members met the collective 25 percent GHG emissions reduction target, their actions would reduce the group’s annual emissions by more than 1,071,000 t CO2e per year by 2030 relative to the base year—a reduction equivalent to avoiding the annual tailpipe emissions from more than 230,000 passenger vehicles. We will provide a progress update using the group’s 2019 food purchase data once new data are available.

Key Findings

  • Cool Food (www.coolfood.org) is a global initiative that helps dining facilities commit to reducing their food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2030 relative to 2015.
  • Cool Food members reported more than 129,000 tonnes of food purchased in the base year. If members met the collective 25 percent GHG emissions reduction target, their actions would reduce emissions by more than 1,071,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2030 relative to the baseline, equivalent to avoiding the annual tailpipe emissions from more than 230,000 passenger vehicles.
  • Animal-based foods accounted for 89 percent of the group’s total GHG emissions profile, with ruminant meats (beef and lamb) alone accounting for 71 percent—and other meats, dairy, seafood, and eggs accounting for 18 percent. Plant-based foods accounted for the remaining 11 percent.
  • We will provide a progress update using the group’s 2019 food purchase data.

Executive Summary

Cool Food (www.coolfood.org) is a global initiative that helps dining facilities (e.g., restaurants, hotels, corporate campuses, city governments, universities, hospitals) commit to a science-based target to reduce their food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2030 relative to 2015. Cool Food helps members track the climate impacts of the food they serve, develop plans to sell delicious dishes with smaller climate footprints, and promote their achievements as leaders in a growing movement.

This paper establishes the baseline estimate for Cool Food members’ collective food-related GHG emissions and also reports the group’s 2030 reduction target. As of December 2019, Cool Food comprised 30 members collectively serving an estimated 852 million meals per year, and members provided baseline food purchase data from the years 2015–18, accounting for 96 percent of total meals served annually. Following the method established in the Cool Food technical note “Tracking Progress Toward the Cool Food Pledge,” all members reported purchases of animal and plant proteins, with a subset of members also reporting other plant-based foods. The WRI secretariat then estimated the group’s food-related emissions using GHG emission factors found in two recent global studies.

In total, members reported more than 129,000 tonnes (t) of food purchased in the base year. Food-related emissions from agricultural supply chains were estimated at more than 810,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2e), with food-related carbon opportunity costs of more than 3,475,000 t CO2e. Carbon opportunity costs estimate the annualized amount of carbon that could be stored in plants and soils if the land used to produce food purchased by Cool Food members were allowed to return to native vegetation (e.g., forests) (see Box 3 for more details on carbon opportunity costs). Animal-based foods accounted for 89 percent of the group’s total GHG emissions profile, with ruminant meats (beef and lamb) alone accounting for 71 percent. Plant-based foods accounted for 11 percent. Summing the agricultural supply chain emissions, plus carbon opportunity costs, gives a baseline annual estimate of Cool Food members’ total food-related carbon costs of more than 4,286,000 t CO2e.

If members met the collective 25 percent GHG emissions reduction target, their actions would reduce the group’s annual emissions by more than 1,071,000 t CO2e per year by 2030 relative to the base year. This reduction is equivalent to avoiding the annual tailpipe emissions from more than 230,000 passenger vehicles. As Cool Food welcomes additional members in coming years, the amount of potential emissions reductions under the 25 percent absolute reduction target will also continue to grow. We will provide a progress update using the group’s 2019 food purchase data once new data are available.

For more on Cool Food, see www.coolfood.org.