Over 1,100 cooks, chefs and caterers working in food service have now signed up to use the calculator, helping them slash their carbon emissions in a variety of settings, from schools to professional kitchens. Since the collaboration began, the calculator has recorded the following savings:
- 1677.84 tonnes of CO2e – the equivalent of taking 391 petrol cars off the road for a year.
- 58.647km² of biodiversity, or reduced deforestation – the equivalent of an area more than half the size of Bristol.
- 165,941,339 litres of water, the equivalent of 66.38 Olympic swimming pools.
Cool Food Pro was launched in 2021, to encourage caterers to work more sustainably across five key areas: serving seasonal food, offering less and better meat, purchasing organic, buying local as well as reducing food and plastic waste. Food providers use the calculator and its website to easily record and add up their carbon emissions, find ways to reduce them, and to share their results.
Smruti Naik-Jones, chief sustainability officer of Deloitte UK and North & South Europe, said: “We know we have a greater chance of reaching net-zero by working together. That’s why we’re using our skills, influence and investment to support innovative projects that can catalyse environmental and social impact in the key areas of sustainable food systems, the energy transition, circularity and nature restoration.
“Through our collaboration with the Soil Association, we’re supporting the consumer sector to reduce emissions and food waste, empowering caterers around the world by making sustainable food choices more accessible.”
A wealth of free resources is available for Cool Food Pro members, to empower them to cut carbon. Thanks to Deloitte’s involvement, new resources on the impact of food on climate have also been delivered in workshops at schools and colleges throughout the UK, reaching over 500 students.
Deb Taylor, sustainable catering project manager at Cool Food Pro and the Soil Association, added: “The support from Deloitte has had extensive impact on Cool Food Pro, increasing its reach through the design and delivery of educational resources and benefiting our stakeholders with the development of new digital features on the carbon calculator. These will enable caterers to reduce their environmental impact even further, leading to more meaningful change across the industry.”