Our mission at Green Star Index is to help consumers make smarter, greener choices about their diet. We accomplish this by helping food purveyors to accurately label the carbon “cost” of each menu item. Using a simple, intuitive, color rating system—on menus and elsewhere—we make it easy for consumers to manage and reduce their carbon-footprint. The first step is awareness.
According to the EPA, green-house gas emissions attributable to food production and consumption is anywhere from 19%-29%. As meat becomes increasingly available in the developing world this number is poised to skyrocket. While all of us still depend on electricity and fossil fuels, a reduction of one’s “dietary footprint,” is perhaps the most immediately actionable contribution we can make to the planet.
Our ultimate goal is that “carbon scoring” become a industry standard in food services. As more restaurants get involved we are growing the conversation about dietary carbon. Just as nutritional labeling empowered us to better care for our bodies, carbon scoring enables us to better care for our planet.
How does it work?
The formula is simple: participating restaurants and food sellers come to us to help them better understand their menu. Green Star conducts a scientific evaluation of each ingredient in order to understand the “carbon cost” of each menu item. The results are organized into a simple, Color Carbon Index and made available to consumers (on menus, online, etc.) Faced with vital information about their dietary choices, consumers gravitate to “greener” and greener options. Participating businesses effectively communicate their commitment to our planet and our future.
Green Star Index 