Identifying Cool Food Meals

Cool Food is a global initiative that aims to help food providers sell dishes with smaller climate footprints. This technical note outlines the methods used by World Resources Institute (WRI) to identify a set of Cool Food Meals on a food provider’s menu. Drawing on the calculation methods established under the Cool Food Pledge, Cool Food Meals must fall under a maximum threshold of per-meal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on recipe data submitted to WRI. In addition, Cool Food Meals are subject to a nutrition safeguard to ensure they meet a minimum threshold of nutritional quality. Designation of Cool Food Meals is open to food providers that are Cool Food Pledge members, Cool Food “Heroes” who serve an especially low-GHG-emitting menu, or food providers for whom at least 20 percent of annual sales are dishes that qualify as Cool Food Meals. Publicly recognizing climate-friendly food providers, and steering consumers toward low-emitting menu options, can help accelerate the transition toward a sustainable food future.