SSP Group, a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations, has joined forces with Klimato, specialists in helping restaurants calculate, communicate and track the climate impact of their food, to measure its recipes’ carbon emissions and pilot carbon labelling on its menus.

SSP will be conducting a two-month pilot of carbon labelling on the menus for its Ritazza and Camden Food Co. brands at Abu Dhabi International Airport’s newly opened Terminal A.

Chefs will be able to use the Klimato platform to assess the carbon impact of recipes, which will then be displayed on the menus.

Point of sale materials explaining the labelling will also be prominently displayed in both outlets to help customers make more informed choices.

The process will help SSP explore the effect labelling has on customer behaviour, and to develop more sustainable offerings.

This is the first time Klimato carbon labelling has been employed in a travel location and, if successful, SSP will roll out carbon labels more widely across its menus.

Sustainability has been a key priority during the design, construction and operation of SSP’s new units at Abu Dhabi, which aligns with the airport’s sustainable build standards.

For example, 90% of the wood used in the build was from recycled or reclaimed sources, and 85% of all floor and wall tiling used are locally sourced with a minimum of 20% recycled content.

In addition, the units have been fitted with water-based air-conditioning and a system to extract steam from hoods and recycle it into clean air, alongside other energy-efficient equipment. As another example of sustainability practice at the airport, SSP has partnered with The Waste Lab, a Dubai-based women-owned start-up, to turn waste coffee grounds from its units into fertiliser for use by local communities.

Commenting on the initiative, Mark Angela, CEO of SSP EEME and India, said; “As part of our net-zero commitment, we are working to reduce carbon emissions associated with food and beverage across our business. This new carbon labelling initiative takes a science-based, data-driven approach to decarbonising our menus. And the associated communications campaign will drive customer awareness to help passengers make more informed and considered food choices.”

Image: Abu Dhabi Airports
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