La Table de Colette: How We Calculate and Reduce CO₂

Why Calculate Your Carbon Footprint in the Food Service Industry?

In France, food accounts for 25% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—as much as transportation or housing! For a restaurant like La Table de Colette, where culinary excellence goes hand in hand with a commitment to the environment, measuring its carbon footprint is the first step toward reducing it.

But how do you do it? Two key partners are supporting Josselin Marie and her team:

1. Bon Pour Le Climat: the leading organization for calculating the carbon footprint of dishes and guiding restaurant owners toward low-carbon menus.
2. Net Zero Now: an NGO that offers a customized methodology for restaurants—developed in collaboration with giants like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Pernod Ricard UK—to achieve carbon neutrality.

 Spotlight on Bon Pour Le Climat: the eco-calculator revolutionizing kitchens

Who are they?

Founded in 2014 by Jean-Luc Fessard (journalist and sustainability expert), Bon Pour Le Climat is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help restaurant owners reduce the climate impact of their dishes. It is supported by committed chefs such as Olivier Roellinger and Régis Marcon.

"80% of a restaurant’s environmental impact comes from the plate." — Jean-Luc Fessard, honorary president of Bon Pour Le Climat

Their flagship tool: the eco-calculator

In partnership with the Etiquettable app, Bon Pour Le Climat has developed an eco-calculator based on data from ADEME (the French Agency for Ecological Transition). How does it work?

1. Enter the ingredients:

• Type (meat, vegetable, grain, etc.), weight, origin (local, imported), production method (organic, conventional), seasonality.
• Example: 150 g of beef from intensive farming vs. 100 g of local organic beef.

1. Analyze storage and cooking methods:

• Frozen? Fresh? Cooked with gas, electricity, or wood?

1. Calculate the result:

• Carbon footprint per serving (in grams of CO₂e).
• Eco-score: a rating that assesses the overall environmental impact (carbon, water, biodiversity).
• Percentage of local/seasonal products: to identify areas for improvement.

Net Zero Now: the methodology to go further

While Bon Pour Le Climat focuses on the plate, Net Zero Now takes into account the restaurant’s entire operations to achieve carbon neutrality. Their approach, developed with industry experts, is based on four pillars:

Measure: The Complete Carbon Footprint

Net Zero Now helps restaurants assess all their emissions, categorized into three scopes:

• Scope 1: Direct emissions (gas, fuel, restaurant vehicles).
• Scope 2: Indirect energy-related emissions (electricity, heating).
• Scope 3: Indirect non-energy emissions (food purchases, supplier transportation, waste, etc.)—the largest category in the restaurant industry (up to 90% of the total!).

At La Table de Colette, Net Zero Now helped map out:

• 60% of emissions: Food (meat, dairy products, imports).
• 20%: Energy (cooking, lighting, air conditioning).
• 15%: Transportation (deliveries, staff travel).
• 5%: Waste (packaging, food waste).

Reducing: Targeted Actions

Using this data, Net Zero Now offers a personalized action plan. Here are the measures implemented by La Table de Colette: Food:

• 70% reduction in animal protein (replaced by legumes, grains, and vegetables).
• 100% local products (within a 250-km radius) and 80% organic.
• Zero waste: recycling of food scraps with Moulinot (composting/anaerobic digestion).

Energy:

• 100% green electricity (supplied by Engie Green).
• Optimized cooking: induction ovens, energy-efficient stovetops.
• Enhanced insulation of the premises to reduce heating needs.

Transportation:

• Deliveries by cargo bike for small suppliers.
• Partnerships with ultra-short-chain producers (e.g., farms in the Île-de-France region).

Waste:

• Systematic sorting (food waste with Moulinot, recyclable packaging).
• Zero plastic in the kitchen (stainless steel containers, glass jars).

Offsetting: residual emissions

Even with all these measures, some emissions are unavoidable (e.g., delivery of Bordeaux wine, residual electricity). Net Zero Now helps to:

• Fund Gold Standard- or VCS-certified offset projects (reforestation, renewable energy).
• Support local carbon sinks (e.g., peatland restoration in France).

At La Table de Colette, only 5% of emissions are offset—the rest are avoided or reduced at the source.

Communication: Transparency and Education

Net Zero Now provides communication tools to:

• Display the carbon footprint of dishes on the menu (as some partner restaurants already do).
• Raise customer awareness through infographics (e.g., “This dish emits 50% less CO₂ than a traditional steak”).
• Train staff on eco-friendly practices (e.g., “Why choose lentils over steak?”).

La Table de Colette by the Numbers: An Exemplary Carbon Footprint

Testimonial from Josselin Marie, chef at La Table de Colette

“Calculating our carbon footprint with Bon Pour Le Climat and Net Zero Now was a real eye-opener. We realized that every choice we make in the kitchen has a huge impact: replacing beef with lentils means 10 times less CO₂! Today, our customers don’t just come for the fine dining—they also come for the story behind their meal. And that’s the greatest reward of all.”

You, too, can take action!

Inspired by La Table de Colette? Here’s how you, too, can calculate and reduce your carbon footprint:

Step 1: Measure the carbon footprint of your dishes

Join Bon Pour Le Climat:

• Website
• Membership: €100/year (access to the eco-calculator + communication tools).
• Training: Workshops to learn how to use the tool.

Step 2: Conduct a comprehensive carbon assessment

Contact Net Zero Now:

• Website
• Methodology: Tailored to restaurants, with customized support.
• Result: A clear action plan to achieve net zero.

Step 3: Take Action and Communicate

• Showcase your progress (e.g., “Our menu emits 50% less CO₂”).
• Engage your customers (e.g., “Did you know this dish saves 2 kg of CO₂?”).
• Unite your teams around a shared goal.

To take it further

• Calculate the impact of your recipes: Bon Pour Le Climat Eco-Calculator
• Learn about the Net Zero Now methodology: netzeronow.org/restaurants
• Follow La Table de Colette on social media: @latabledecoletteparis
• Read the full ADEME report: Food and Climate

Article written in collaboration with La Table de Colette, Bon Pour Le Climat, and Net Zero Now – August 2026 Credits: La Table de Colette / Bon Pour Le Climat / Net Zero Now