EP44: Counting our carbon emissions like we count calories - Just Salad
Background
Food production makes up one-quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and adopting plant-based diets is one of the top five actions humanity can take to curb global warming significantly. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Americans feel a personal responsibility to help reduce global warming, though an even greater number feel helpless to do anything about it.
Solution
Just Salad has announced a commitment to label all of its menu items with a corresponding carbon footprint, becoming the first U.S. restaurant chain to do so, by Climate Week, which begins September 21, 2020. Calculated in partnership with a team of NYU Stern School of Business MBA students through a Stern Solutions Project, the labels will reflect the total estimated emissions associated with the production of the ingredients in each menu item.
Episode Brief
Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Just Salad, joins us on this week’s episode to discuss:
Becoming the first U.S. restaurant chain to carbon label their menu
How carbon labeling works and why it’s important
Inspiration from brands across other industries, like Allbirds
The notion of a “carbon footprint allowance”
Building the calorie counter of carbon for everyday use
Prioritizing sustainability in their stores, despite COVID
Credits
HOST
Peter Levin
PRODUCTION
Dan Mahoney
MUSIC
Eddie Knuckles