Pitt signs pledge to work to cut food-related emissions

Pitt joined a group of cities, universities and businesses that signed onto the World Resources Institute’s Cool Food Pledge this week, vouching to collectively cut food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.

The WRI, a sustainability nonprofit, announced Tuesday that several new signatories, including Pitt, Harvard University, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the World Bank, had joined the pledge during the United Nations’ Climate Action Summit.

The organizations currently on the pledge serve a collective 800 million meals annually, the WRI’s press release said. The WRI looks to have 250 signatories on the pledge by 2021 in order to achieve its goal of cutting food-related greenhouse gas emissions by close to 800,000 tons of CO2 annually.

Nick Goodfellow, Pitt’s sustainability coordinator for auxiliary services, said the pledge aligns with Pitt’s current plans, which officials also said in Pitt’s own release Wednesday.

“Joining with other leaders in the Cool Food Pledge adds to our strong commitment to a holistic campus dining program that encourages healthful diets and planet-friendly choices,” Goodfellow said.