Cutting your carbon ‘forkprint’ one meal at a time

We no longer need to prove that climate change is a threat, the big question now is what do we do about it? Warwick alumni have developed an app, called E.Mission, which allows you to reduce your carbon ‘forkprint’ one meal at a time.

The E.Mission App links your diet to peer-reviewed data and methodology to track and reduce the carbon emissions of your food, but it doesn’t stop there. It then gives suggestions on how to improve with quick recipes, low-cost sustainable shopping lists and easy substitutions. Built with gamification features and compatible with social media it allows you to share your progress and compete with your friends.

It then gives suggestions on how to improve with quick recipes, low-cost sustainable shopping lists and easy substitutions

But why focus on diet? Diet can be responsible for up to 50% percent of your carbon footprint. Here in the UK most of us munch away three times and day, seven days a week and with total control over what we consume. We have the capacity to change our diets and in short, if we change our diets we can change the climate.

Something as simple as swapping the beef in a Spaghetti Bolognese for turkey reduces its impact to a third and swapping for soya gives a nine-fold reduction. But it’s not just about cutting down on meat. Eating asparagus out of season produces twice the carbon impact of bacon and 200 times that of carrots.

Here in the UK most of us munch away three times and day, seven days a week and with total control over what we consume

Geographical, seasonal and quantitative factors all play a part in the emissions on your plate which is why E.Mission have done the hard part and endeavour to put all the relevant information directly into your pocket.