Leading sporting events to showcase food and drink carbon labelling

A host of the UK’s most iconic sporting events, including the Six Nations, the FA Cup Final and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, are set to provide fans with carbon footprint information about the food and drink they choose to purchase.

The move comes thanks to a new partnership struck between Freemans Event Partners, the UK-based multi-service event partner, and food sustainability experts Klimato.

The deal will allow carbon labelling information to be placed on menus provided by Freemans Event Partners at venues including Wembley Stadium, Lord’s Cricket Ground and Twickenham Stadium.

The Klimato tool enables calculation of the carbon emissions created by each and every menu item that Freemans Event Partners provides. Meaning that the 15m guests across 400 events each year that the company caters for will be able to clearly see the carbon impact of the food and drink they choose.

The carbon impact of food is measured in kg of CO2_e, a standard unit for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. For example, a typical beef burger might score 4.0kg CO2_e, while a portion of fish and chips might score 1.8kg CO2_e and a vegan falafel salad might score 0.4kg CO2_e.

At the same time, Freemans Event Partners is undertaking a full review of its menus in order to update any existing recipes that score highly, where possible switching out certain ingredients or cooking methods to a more sustainable alternative. This will ensure as many dishes as possible have a low score and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the food and beverage offer at any event.

Simon Hanna, chief operations officer, Freemans Event Partners, said: “More and more consumers are interested in making sustainable food and drink choices and this new partnership with Klimato will enable them to do that just as easily when at some of the UK’s biggest events, as when they are at home.

“The technology means we can also look to optimise every dish on our menu to ensure it has the lowest carbon impact possible without losing any of the great taste and quality we are known for. Watch this space, there will be more to come.”

Carbon labelling across Freemans Event Partners’ network will be going live early this year, meaning guests can expect to see full information on menu items for the busy Spring and Summer sporting events calendar.

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