Introducing Climate Scores at HelloFresh

Easily make more sustainable choices

From heat waves to floods, you have probably noticed that the climate is changing, but did you also know that what you eat every day has an impact on this? The new Climate Scores help you make more sustainable dinner choices by giving you insight into the impact of each HelloFresh meal on the environment. The easy-to-recognize labels indicate how each recipe scores based on CO₂e emissions from agriculture, production and processing of ingredients.

This is how HelloFresh Climate Scores work

We have calculated the average CO₂e emitted by the ingredients per recipe for all HelloFresh recipes in 2022. Based on this, you will see a score A, B or C every week for every recipe in your menu. Recipes with score A save the most on CO₂e with at least 50% fewer emissions than our average recipe in 2022. Recipes with score B are in the middle. They cause more emissions than recipes with score A, but still less than our average recipe in 2022. Recipes with score C cause more emissions than our average recipe in 2022.

Climate knowledge at the table

From the tractor that harvests the vegetables to their packaging and transport - food releases CO₂ and other greenhouse gases (collectively CO₂e), which contribute to the greenhouse effect. The choices we make in the kitchen are important. The majority of a dish's CO₂e emissions are caused by agriculture, production and processing of ingredients. Emissions can vary considerably per ingredient. With the Climate Scores we want to give you insight into the environmental impact of your meals, so that you can make more conscious choices and, for example, choose recipes whose ingredients cause the least CO₂e emissions*.

What does this mean for you?

The menu changes from week to week and with it the number of recipes with a certain score. We always ensure that you can choose from sufficient recipes with low CO₂e emissions every week. Go to your menu and see how the different types of recipes - for example with meat, fish or completely veggie - influence the Climate Score.

Reduce CO₂e emissions step by step

The food industry is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gases worldwide. In Europe, the food industry is responsible for approximately 30% of all CO2e emissions (1).

Although HelloFresh meals produce on average 11% fewer emissions than the same meals prepared with supermarket ingredients*, we take our responsibility seriously and take continuous action to reduce CO₂e emissions at every step of our chain. HelloFresh Climate Scores are designed to meet one of the goals of the UN Paris Climate Agreement, which is to halve emissions by 2023 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Each recipe is rated based on how well it meets this goal. Recipes with score A save the most on CO₂e with at least 50% fewer emissions than our average recipe in 2022 and therefore contribute the most to this.

Methodology

To calculate the exact CO₂e emissions of each recipe, HelloFresh works together with HowGood. Based on their extensive sustainability database, we calculate the emissions from growing, producing and processing the ingredients for each recipe. This database is based on hundreds of scientific studies and takes into account the geographical farming and processing methods of each region. Read more about this method here.

With the Climate Scores we map the CO₂e emissions related to the agricultural, production and processing phases of the ingredients we supply you for your HelloFresh recipes. The ISO 14040-compliant life cycle assessment that HelloFresh completed in April 2022 shows that these 3 phases together are on average responsible for 68% of CO₂e emissions throughout the chain(2).

Emissions from packaging and transport are currently outside our calculations. In the meantime, we are busy looking for a way to include emissions from packaging and transport in our calculations and to improve our data collection in this area.

This is how HelloFresh Climate Scores work

Every week you will see the score Least emissions, Average emissions or Most emissions for each recipe in your menu. These scores are based on the average CO₂e emissions of HelloFresh recipes in 2022. Recipes with a score of Least emissions save the most on CO₂e with at least 66% fewer emissions than our average recipe in 2022. Recipes with a score of Average emissions are in the middle . They cause more emissions than recipes with the score Least emissions, but still less than our average recipe in 2022. Recipes with the score Most emissions cause more emissions than our average recipe in 2022. This gives you insight into the environmental impact of the recipes and you can make more conscious meal choices.

Reduce CO₂e emissions step by step

The food industry is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gases worldwide. In Europe, the food industry is responsible for approximately 30% of all CO2e emissions (1).

Although HelloFresh meals produce on average 11% fewer emissions than the same meals prepared with supermarket ingredients*, we take our responsibility seriously and take continuous action to reduce CO₂e emissions at every step of our chain. HelloFresh Climate Scores are designed to meet one of the goals of the UN Paris Climate Agreement, which is to halve emissions by 2023 to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Each recipe is rated based on how well it meets this goal. Recipes with score A save the most on CO₂e with at least 50% fewer emissions than our average recipe in 2022 and therefore contribute the most to this.