Project
Trusted source 3: Sustainable catering
The pilot project with the Vereniging Nederlandse Cateringorganisaties (the association of Dutch catering organisations - Veneca) focuses on standardised sustainability information for purchasing by catering companies. The project investigates the possibilities for developing a method to determine the climate impact per product.
First, we focus on the CO2 footprint. The objective is to develop a method that is broadly applicable and works in a standardised way.
Two-phase framework
In 2018 it appeared that it is possible to develop a framework if the calculation process is divided into two phases:
- Product category phase: a number of key questions are determined for each product category;
- Product phase: the impact on the climate is determined for each product, based on the key questions.
The product process can only be completed once the category process has been completed. The strength of this setup is that it is possible to differentiate at the product level, while the entire framework remains relatively simple.
Accuracy and standardisation
In 2019 we are working on ways to deal with variable data quality, making the framework more scalable, and connecting better to the sustainability of caterers. With the help of a demonstration tool, the framework for calculating carbon footprints has improved. This brings us closer to a consistent calculation method and a scalable method of data collection. From April to June, the user requirements of the framework were established after in-depth interviews and data demonstrations by Albron and Sodexo. Furthermore, mini-carbon footprint tools have been developed for tropical tree fruits and fruiting vegetables, and a calculation approach for beef products has been set up.