“Our team shared information with staff about not only what we were doing but why. If you want buy-in from the people preparing and serving the items you’ve created, they need to be a part of it and support it. Frontline staff represent everything you’re trying to showcase. Without their support, you will lose momentum, and your patients and customers will not see the importance of the changes being made.”
– Jill Martin, senior director of food and nutrition services.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
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The challenge
Scope 3 emissions which accounts for about 83% of a health care facility’s total emissions. Reducing animal product purchases is an easy and straightforward way to make progress on reducing Scope 3 emissions.
Food production contributes to approximately 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the transportation sector. The health system recognized that livestock overproduction was behind the majority of emissions, and saw that industrial livestock production also contributed to other public health issues such as antibiotic resistance, air and water pollution, and unsafe working conditions.
UC Health is taking action on climate change through its public commitment to decarbonize by 2045 in addition to its commitment to the White House Health Sector Climate Pledge, the Race to Zero, and the Health Care Climate Council. As part of these efforts, the system is working to reduce its Scope 3 emissions which accounts for about 83% of a health care facility’s total emissions. Reducing animal product purchases is an easy and straightforward way to make progress on Scope 3.
Start your Coolfood journeyGet the same guidance and resources that UC San Diego took advantage of and sign the Coolfood pledge. Signatories receive technical assistance from Practice Greenhealth. |
The solution
UC San Diego Health’s commitment to the Coolfood Pledge provided them with a greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal to work towards, an annual tracking and reporting system, and technical support from Practice Greenhealth.
UC San Diego Health’s strategy to reduce its GHG emissions from food purchasing was to decrease the amount of animal protein used in patient and retail menus and increase the use of plants and plant proteins.
They also committed to the Coolfood Pledge which provided a goal to work towards with support through an annual tracking and reporting system, and guidance from Practice Greenhealth.
Over 130 hospitals have signed the Coolfood Pledge – an international, cross-sector effort to achieve a science-based collective target of reducing GHG emissions from food by 25% by 2030 – or a 38% relative reduction in food-related GHG emissions per plate.
After signing the pledge, UC San Diego Health’s executive chef, director, assistant directors, and patient managers first discussed strategy. Once the team crafted a plan, they brought in additional managers and culinary and service staff. They also sought support from clinical staff outside the food and nutrition department who shared an interest in the work.
One strategy to reduce emissions was to increase the offering of plant-based proteins. The hospitals introduced a “build your own '' station where plant proteins were offered as the entrée or topping which could be served without animal protein. Examples of other options they offered included a Greek wrap with chickpeas in place of chicken and a fiesta bowl with the option of tofu or salmon. UC San Diego Health also expanded its vegetarian and vegan options to include items like pasta carbonara (traditionally made with meat) and a portobello Napa Valley sandwich.
Throughout the project, the team educated staff about the work and the “why” behind it. They used terminology like “plant-based” or “cool food,” which tends to be more enticing to customers than “vegetarian” or “vegan.”
The general approach was to start small with a few recipes and focus on replacing higher GHG-emitting animal proteins like beef. They trained staff on production, made the changes in the cafe and for patients, gathered feedback, and then moved on to a few more recipes. The initial process took about a year, but the team has found that taking their time resulted in lasting change. Menus continue to be reviewed quarterly for opportunities to make updates.
The results
In addition to achieving a 35% per plate GHG emissions reduction, only three points from the 2030 Coolfood goal, the health system discovered $60,000 in annual savings.
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Every year, UC San Diego Health submits food purchasing data by weight through an annual report to analyze its GHG impact and measure progress towards the Coolfood goal. Every Coolfood participant receives the results of the annual report that tracks their progress.
Over 6 years, with a baseline of 2017, UC San Diego Health reduced its emissions by 35% per plate. The system is pleased with its progress in almost reaching the 2030 goal but continues to strive to push beyond the goal, knowing that the global food system must continue to reduce its impact beyond the Coolfood goal.
While the original goal in implementing changes was to improve GHG emissions, there was an additional reward in the cost savings achieved from purchasing less meat. By purchasing less meat, UC San Diego Health was able to improve the quality and type of meat they were still purchasing and still see a reduction in annual meat expenditure by about $60,000.
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About UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health, the region’s only academic health system, is dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care through commitment to community, groundbreaking research, and inspired teaching. The 1,011-bed health system includes three hospitals — Hillcrest Medical Center, Jacobs Medical Center, and East Campus Medical Center — as well as Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, Moores Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Koman Family Outpatient Pavilion and Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute. The health system also includes primary care and same-day services at clinics throughout Southern California.
