A “WORLD-FIRST” pilot scheme allowing Islanders to see the carbon footprint of their lunch has been announced by the government.
The initiative will see items at Café Ubé, which has two sites in central St Helier plus outlets at Jersey Airport and Elizabeth Harbour, bearing labels detailing their carbon impact.
Dubbed “Plate to Planet”, the move is a partnership between the government and JP Restaurants, the parent company of Café Ubé.
Environment Minister Steve Luce said the “world-first trial scheme” could be rolled out across the Island’s hospitality industry if it is deemed viable.
Deputy Luce said: “Carbon labelling on Café-Ubé-made products brings us another step closer to educating and informing Islanders on how to make better carbon-conscious decisions, if they wish to.
“This is by no means a scheme to discourage people from eating certain foods – we are simply giving Islanders who wish to make more environmentally conscious choices the tools to do so.”
He added: “Consumers in France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands have expressed positive sentiment around introducing carbon labels, so I’m hoping to see similar sentiment in Jersey.”
Recipes featuring in the pilot programme have been analysed using accounting software from online carbon footprint calculator My Emissions, which calculates a dish’s carbon footprint across its farming, processing, packaging, and transport stages.
The government is also exploring the carbon footprint of public sector catering outlets, including those at the General Hospital, HMP La Moye and in schools.
In September 2024, JP Restaurants announced that it had become the first restaurant group in Jersey to achieve both the Gold Green Tourism Award and the Eco-Active Leader Award.
The Gold Green Tourism Award is a sustainability certification presented by Green Tourism, a leading organisation dedicated to supporting environmentally responsible businesses. Eco-Active Leader status forms part of the government’s Eco-Active initiative, which recognises businesses committed to environmental responsibility.