New Inventory Shows That Buildings, Transportation, and Food Represent New York City’s Top Three Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
City Also Launches Corporate Challenge to Reduce Private Sector Food Emissions by 25 Percent
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chief Climate Officer and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala today released the city's first integrated greenhouse gas inventory, which incorporates emissions from the production and consumption of food. Those emissions represent 20 percent of New York City's overall emissions — the third largest source, behind buildings (34 percent) and transportation (22 percent). The inventory — developed by the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) — includes emissions involved in the production of goods and services New Yorkers consume, whether or not that production occurs in New York City. In response to the new inventory, Mayor Adams and Mayor’s Office of Food Policy (MOFP) Executive Director Kate MacKenzie also announced that the city will reduce absolute carbon emissions from food purchases across its city agencies by 33 percent by 2030.
“New York City is leading the world when it comes to combating climate change, because we’re using every option on the menu in our fight — and that includes changing our menus, too,” said Mayor Adams. “This new emissions report shows us that plant-powered food isn’t just good for our physical and mental health, but good for the planet as well. We’ve already made great strides in reducing our food emissions by leading with plant-based meals in our public hospitals and introducing Plant-Powered Fridays in our public schools. Now, we know we need to go further. That’s why today, we’re committing to reducing the city’s food-based emissions at agencies by 33 percent by 2030 and challenging our private sector partners to join us by cutting their food emissions by 25 percent in the same time period. The way we eat impacts everything, and now we’re going to do more to impact everything for the better.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals is on track to serve more than three-quarters of a million plant-based meals over this calendar year. This offers alignment with the city’s strategy around Lifestyle Medicine, but also has significant implications for planetary health as well, with food being the third largest contributor to climate emissions across the city,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the thoughtful and integrated approach the city is taking to bring healthy food to every person that might eat a meal as a patient in one of our public hospitals and how we are working to preserve and defend the environment for every New Yorker.”
“I am delighted that C40 and American Express have given us a new lens into greenhouse gas emissions,” said Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Aggarwala. “We have long known about buildings and transportation's role in emissions, and this integrated inventory gives us clearer knowledge of food's role, and the full scope of actions the government can take.”
“The relationship between what we eat and its effect on climate change and the environment is known,” said MOCEJ Executive Director Kizzy Charles-Guzman. “With transparency and bold policy to reduce food-related emissions, New York is helping its residents, and the world, understand the power that behavior change can have in achieving our climate goals.”
“In working to combat the climate crisis we’ve faced, for too long, we’ve looked only to the cars we drive and the buildings in which we live, with too little attention paid to what’s right in front of us: The food on our plates,” said MOFP Executive Director MacKenzie. “Thank you, Mayor Adams, for your leadership on these initiatives that ask of ourselves, as city agencies, accountability in carbon emission reductions, through the food we purchase, and encourages corporate cooperation to take on this challenge as well, so we can work together to effect meaningful change by 2030.”
New York City has measured citywide emissions since 2005, but this is the first time the city has included emissions from household consumption. These emissions were modeled by EcoDataLab as part of an ongoing project coordinated by C40 that is working with cities to identify urban consumption indicators for data-driven climate action and measurement. The new inventory shows that 20 percent of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions come from household food consumption — primarily from meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. This means New Yorkers can significantly reduce the city’s emissions by eating more low-carbon food, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. The integrated inventory can be found on the MOCEJ website.
This new emissions inventory furthers New York City’s continued commitment to measuring its emissions and innovating to reduce its contribution to climate change, including through the food it buys. In particular, New York City’s public hospitals and schools are leading the way. By serving plant-based meals as the default option and enhancing patients’ food experience, NYC Health + Hospitals is on track to serve 850,000 plant-based meals this year — reducing its food-based carbon emissions by 36 percent as of February 2023 while reducing the public health burden of diet-related disease. The city also introduced Plant-Powered Fridays in its public schools last year, emphasizing the central role that healthy, low-carbon options must have on individuals’ plates and inspiring future generations to lead the charge in creating a more just and sustainable food system.
In addition to committing to reducing the city’s carbon emissions from food purchases from city agencies by 33 percent by 2030, Mayor Adams today launched the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, urging private, institutional, and nonprofit sector leaders to reduce their food-based emissions by 25 percent by 2030. MOFP — in partnership with the companies Coolfood and Greener by Default — will support participants in measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of their existing procurement practices. These commitments will be formalized in Mayor Adams’ strategic climate plan to be released later in April. Last year, Mayor Adams updated the city’s Food Standards, which translate the latest research on health and nutrition into guidelines for food served by the city — aligning public health and climate goals. The city was recognized by signatories to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact for its work incorporating “Good Food Purchasing” program values in its food procurement. The Good Food Purchasing program encourages large institutions to use their buying power to support five core values: local economies, environmental sustainability, valued workforce, animal welfare, and nutrition. The city is integrating these values into agency food spending, which will ensure that city funds spent on food support individual, community, and planetary health.
New York City is a national and global leader in climate initiatives related to food and is poised to serve as a model for other cities. In 2022, Mayor Adams announced that the city had signed onto the “C40 Good Food Cities Declaration” — joining London and 13 other cities around the world delivering on the same pledge — to increase access to plant-forward and nutritious food for city residents and halve their city’s respective food waste. C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors from the world’s leading cities working to deliver urgent, local action to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone can thrive.
“We understand the significant impact our food choices have on both our communities and the environment, and we are we pleased to see this administration taking decisive action to reduce food-based emissions across city agencies,” said New York City Department of Social Services Acting Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “This announcement exemplifies the city’s commitment to comprehensively combatting climate change and building a brighter, healthier, and more sustainable future for all New Yorkers.”
“With the help of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, ACS is seeking more environmentally-sustainable purchasing specifications that help reduce our carbon footprint,” said New York City Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “I applaud Mayor Adams for prioritizing this critical issue and committing to reducing food-based emissions in New York City.”
“The new consumption inventory, which shows us how our food choices impact climate change, is a wonderful complement to the city’s inventory of greenhouse gas emissions that are generated from our government operations, buildings, and fleet,” said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “The more we know, the better prepared we all are to make a difference.”
“In Fiscal Year 2023, the New York City Department of Aging served nearly 3 million nutritious meals to older New Yorkers, and under Mayor Eric Adams we continue to make changes to these programs to reduce the negative environmental impact they have” said New York City Department for the Aging Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez. “We are beginning a composting program with the New York City Department of Sanitation in 10 older adult centers in Queens, which will expand to the more than 300 centers we have across the city. To further reduce waste, we also eliminated a requirement to wrap individual fresh fruits in plastic and are working on eliminating other single use plastics. As the second highest food provider in the city, we are pleased to support the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy to create a more sustainable environment, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in government to further reduce the city’s carbon footprint.”
“I’m proud to be joining Mayor Adams, the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, and our agency counterparts throughout New York City to take essential steps towards reducing carbon emissions for the betterment of our community, and of communities around the world,” said New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks. “New York City public schools will continue to prioritize sustainability in all aspects, including our kitchens and lunchrooms, to help our city meet this critical commitment.”
“Our planet is already seeing the devastating effects of climate change and it’s not just the environment taking a toll — human health will also suffer. NYC Health + Hospitals, through our partnership with Sodexo, is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by offering inpatients plant-based meals and implementing food waste and diversion programs,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Tackling the climate crisis is a global effort and we are hopeful other health care systems will join us in saving our beautiful planet.”
“Ensuring New Yorkers eat nutritious foods and have access to them is key to their overall health, but it should not come at the cost of harming our environment,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Reducing consumption-based emissions and encouraging people to adopt more plant-based foods is a win-win. This will help improve our air quality and help prevent the several chronic diseases that affect so many New Yorkers unnecessarily.”
“The nutritional services division of the New York City Department of Correction welcomes the opportunity of participating in the carbon reduction initiative set forth by Mayor Adams and the Mayor's Office of Food Policy,” said New York City Department of Corrections Senior Executive Director of Nutritional Services Glenn O'Connor.
“Taking actionable steps towards the sustainability of our schools, such as our now monthly plastic free day in cafeterias, is and will continue to be a priority for New York City public schools and the Office of Food and Nutrition Services,” said Chris Tricarico, senior executive director, New York City Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services. “Many of our young people depend on the delicious and nutritious meals they receive in school each day, and we’re committed to making sure these meals are not only healthy, but sourced and prepared with the future of our city and our students in mind.”
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