My Emissions has created a simple, easy-to-understand carbon label, so companies can develop low carbon recipes and empower consumers to make more informed food choices.
What is Carbon Labelling?
A carbon label is a quick way to determine a food product or meal’s carbon footprint and how sustainable it really is. We do this by calculating and displaying the carbon footprint of a food, product or meal, giving insight into its carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
Food companies can use carbon labelling for internal decision making, such as helping chefs and New Product Development (NPD) teams develop low carbon food. You can also add carbon labels to your menus, so customers can make more informed choices and feel connected to your more sustainable menu.
The My Emissions carbon label covers all emissions from the farm up to when a food arrives at the store or restaurant.
My Emissions is committed to making a positive impact on the environment, and ultimately reducing your emissions from food. We are actively engaging with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Wrap, and other agencies globally to create an industry standard on carbon labelling.
Colour Coded A – E Ratings.
Our labels use a colour coded traffic light system where A (Green/ Very Low) is the lowest carbon rating and E (Red/ Very High) the highest carbon rating.
The My Emissions carbon label rates a product or meal from A (Very Low) to E (Very High), based on the ‘per kg’ carbon footprint of the food.
The C (Yellow / Medium) rating represents the average emissions of food today, based on the estimated emissions of the current global food sector.
Carbon calculations cover at least all emissions from farm to store, and include a mix of scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
Foods and dishes that are rated A (Very Low) are in line with the daily carbon daily personal carbon budget recommended by the EAT-Lancet Commission, which establishes the maximum amount of carbon emissions per person per day that the global food system can emit while staying within planetary boundaries.
This daily personal carbon budget serves as a guideline for creating sustainable food systems capable of supporting a growing population while mitigating climate change.
A / Very Low rated food products and dishes have emissions below 1.75 kgCO2e/kg product – which is roughly equivalent to the emissions from 50 500ml PET plastic bottles.
B / Low rated food products have emissions between 1.75 – 3kg CO2e/kg product
C / Medium rated food products have emissions between 3 – 4.25 CO2e/kg product
D / High rated food products have emissions between 4.25 – 5.5 CO2e/kg product
E / Very High rated products have emissions of above 5.5 CO2e/kg product
We believe the thresholds for a carbon label should be set by the Government (just as nutritional thresholds).
My Emissions is actively engaging with the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Wrap, and other agencies globally on this.
New Methodology. Rooted in Extensive Data. Backed by Science.
My Emissions introduced our improved ratings and methodology in March 2024. Our updated carbon ratings are aligned to the latest climate science, including the EAT-Lancet Commission’s planetary health diet.
This ensures there’s a tangible link between our A-E ratings and the environmental impact.
Choosing foods and dishes with our highest A rating means the consumer is making choices which ensure they are within their daily carbon budget – the maximum amount of carbon emissions per person per day that the global food system can emit while remaining within planetary boundaries.
Aligned with the Leading Carbon Accounting Standard
My Emissions has a dedicated process for measuring the emissions of an individual food product or meal.
All calculations align with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Product Standard, which is the leading standard on carbon accounting and our methodology has been independently audited.
Our updated ratings are rooted in extensive data and official studies from the EAT-Lancet Commission, ensuring that your choices are backed by science. My Emissions continually strives to update its products with the latest data and may update the ratings thresholds in the future, according to the latest science.
Want to Add Carbon Labels to Your Product or Menu?
My Emissions has recently launched a free plan, allowing restaurants (and any food business) to measure emissions of up to 3 dishes. With our AI recipe generator, you can have carbon ratings in minutes and start adding carbon labels to your menu.
Sign up to our free plan, book a call with our team today to learn more, or contact us at hello@myemissions.co.
