Planet saving changes in the kitchen

Smarter and better choices can more than halve the food's negative environmental and climate impact. At Restaurant Björken in Uppsala/Sweden, Sodexo's chef Oscar Jonasson and his team help the guests to change. Without sacrificing either taste or quality. Let us offer some tips that you can take with you, whether you are cooking for yourself, your family or at a restaurant.

Measure and calculate

To change, you need to measure. In 2019, the climate impact of the average meal at Restaurant Björken was 1.7 kg CO2e. That is about the same as in Swedish homes, but far from the Worldwide Fund for Nature's ideal plate One Planet Plate, which has a maximum limit of 0.5 kg CO2e.

In the autumn of 2020, Oscar Jonasson and his team took the effort needed to reduce the food's average climate impact to 1.0 kg CO2e. 30 percent of the guests chose the dish that had the lowest climate impact, a maximum of 0.5 kg CO2e.

”I set tough goals and I compete with myself. I never sacrifice on taste. We notice that even word choice can make a difference. Barbeque burgers with beets and lentils sound much more fun to many people than a ‘vegetarian burger’”, says Oscar Jonasson.

Climate commitment has paid off

In 2021, more climate-smart changes were made, and a climate week was carried out in collaboration with Sodexo’s client Cytiva Life Sciences. It was a successful venture. By presenting the food's climate impact to the guests, their knowledge and opportunity to make climate-smart choices increased.

The commitment on the site has paid off. In 2021, the average was 0.7 kg CO2e, which is more than a halving since the start of the survey. Guests who chose a dish with the lowest climate impact, a maximum of 0.5 kg CO2e, increased to 35 percent. Only 3 percent chose a dish with a large climate impact, 1.5 kg CO2e or higher.

Oscar has recently joined an internal group of creative chefs who will further develop Sodexo's central recipes both in terms of taste and environmental impact.