For Organizations

Institutions and Food Service

This calculator can help companies implement their commitments to climate-friendly, sustainable food service. Use this calculator to understand the environmental impact of your organization or company’s food procurement with measurements in climate emissions, land use, and water use.

Shifting our planetary footprints means reducing animal proteins and shifting toward lower-impact plant proteins. Animal proteins top the chart in climate emissions and drive pollution and the loss of nature.

Many institutions are offering climate-friendly foods as the default. Since 2021 New York City hospitals have served plant-based meals by default, saving $318,000 in plate costs, reducing their emissions by 36%, and achieving a patient satisfaction rate of over 90%. Plant-based defaults are also popular on college campuses across the United States and the UK and have reduced nearly half of the environmental costs associated with meat-intensive menus.

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City Food Commitments

Cities are also crucial platforms for food systems transformation, where effective reform can support climate goals. Metro areas across the United States, including Washington, D.C., New York, Oakland, Denver, Berkeley, West Hollywood, Minneapolis, and Cleveland are making food-based climate commitments.

In 2025 Los Angeles County made landmark commitments toward increasing plant-based offerings. The county started requiring all food-service contracts to serve at least one plant-based entree per day and tracks its food-related GHG emissions across departments to meet reduction targets.

Other cities are taking big steps too. Austin, Texas encourages plant-based defaults at all city and county facilities and events and expands programs that emphasize plant-based foods. Washington, D.C. passed the Green Food Purchasing Action, which aims to reduce food-related emissions by 25% over five years.

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Austin, TX
Berkeley, CA
Cleveland, OH
Denver, CO
Minneapolis, MN
New York, NY
Oakland, CA
Washington, D.C.
West Hollywood, CA

Los Angeles County

Required all foodservice contracts to serve at least one plant-based entree per day and started tracking its food-related GHG emissions to meet reduction targets

New York City

Made plant-based meals the default option for inpatients at its 11 public hospitals.

Austin, TX

Issued its Food Plan, which encourages plant-based defaults at all city and county facilities and events and expands programs that emphasize plant-based foods.

Washington, D.C.

Enacted the Green Food Purchasing Action, which aimed to reduce food-related GHG emissions by 25% over five years.

Sign Up to Get Your Planetary Foodprint

Calculate your organization’s foodprint and renew your commitment to climate-friendly, sustainable food service. For a free, confidential assessment and support with setting goals and implementation strategies, reach out today.

Email our team of experts at [email protected].

We are experienced working with a variety of stakeholders to help meet their climate and sustainability commitments as well as reducing their food waste.

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Keep exploring

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More Resources

Visit TakeExtinctionOffYourPlate.com to learn about how food impacts the planet.