A new labelling initiative has been launched to enable islanders to assess the “carbon foodprint” of what they buy from a local café chain.
Items on the menu at Café Ubé, which has two sites in central St Helier as well as branches at Jersey Airport and Elizabeth Harbour, will feature in the “Plate to Planet” scheme.
The move is a partnership between JP Restaurants, parent company of Café Ubé, and the Government, which is exploring the viability of rolling out a carbon labelling scheme across Jersey’s hospitality industry.
Pictured: Environment Minister Steve Luce said that this scheme will give those who wish to make more environmentally-conscious choices, the tools to do so.
Environment Minister Steve Luce said: “Carbon labelling on 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 those who wish to make more environmentally-conscious choices, the tools to do so.”
“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 have been analysed using accounting software from online carbon footprint calculator My Emissions, which calculates a dish’s carbon footprint across 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 schools.
The recently-published Future Fit Retail Roadmap, which set out plans to revitalise St Helier’s retail landscape, outlined “regenerative practices and sustainable development” as one of its key priorities.
Pictured: The roadmap highlights the importance of circular economic models and calls for policies that promote repair, sharing, and resale.
The strategy stated: “Central to our vision is a commitment to regenerative practices that nurture rather than deplete our natural resources.
“We will prioritise sustainability in every aspect of our retail landscape, encouraging sourcing products responsibly and reducing waste to investing in renewable energy and green infrastructure as we decarbonise and transition to a net zero economy.
“By embracing environment friendly practices, we will minimise our environmental footprint while maximising long-term prosperity for generations to come.”
It added: “Our policymaking will seek to mimic global exemplars over the next 5-10 years, focusing on circular economic models.
“Some of these may include policy relating to the following areas: demonstration of provenance and anti-greenwashing, packaging regulations, repair, rent and reparable goods innovation funding, food waste and food loss, bio-diversity gains in re-fit and design.”
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