#ISpyClimateInfluence : NYC Food Policy and the Plant Powered Carbon Challenge Game Changer

If you've been following my feed for the past few months, you'll know that I have been advising a SUPER cool initiative of the NYC Mayor's Office of Food Policy, the Plant Powered Carbon Challenge. This post and my Substack audio post are not simply a look at that particular program, but they are an overview of the conversations around food and emissions reduction as a climate solution. (Bottom line - we have a LOT of low-hanging opportunity, people!).

I recorded an interview with that initiative's lead strategist, Neeti Jain , where we talked about our experiences with food sessions at #ClimateWeekNYC and beyond.

As a KEY point, take a stat that was included in the Tilt Collective Systemiq Ltd. research released that week:

"Investing in a plant rich food systems has 5 times the emission reduction potential than the same investment in renewable energy or 4 times that of EVs, which right now are kind of the 'sexy' climate solutions that we're seeing."

Insights from Neeti included:

• We (U.S., more specifically) seem to have an inclination to tech solutions. Is the simple solution of institutional nudging toward behavior shift a "third rail" for some reason?
• When we look at attending to #Scope3 emissions, it seems like we're not ready to address food - and it is such low-hanging fruit AND would be so fast-acting.
• We do not talk enough about how easy this shift is and how much joy comes from it - for catering staff, chefs and diners.

Two excerpts:

"We're looking at sports venues where sports fans from all around the city and other cities as well pour in to consume food at massive scale. We're looking at restaurants and catering. and institutions that really are big players in the food space, whether or not they recognize themselves as agents of change in the food system.

And I think that's the key. And that's really also behind sort of this excitement around an initiative like the Plant Powered Carbon Challenge, which is that Everyone, everyone, everyone can participate. You don't have to be a food systems change agent. You don't have to be a food service provider necessarily."

***

"It feels like this fantastic opportunity for businesses to win, win, win. They can be a change agent when it comes to climate. They can achieve their sustainability goals. They can kind of help make this systems or institutional level shift. I think the best part, of course, is that it really is cross-sectoral. Like it's sports, it's finance, it's higher education, it's technology, it's hospitality. Anyone and everyone can get involved."

***

In my #ISpyClimateInfluence Subtstack audio conversation, and in addition to the Tilt Collective/SystemIQ research, we mention a great interview on the Center for Effective Philanthropy "Giving Done Right" podcast; the Our World in Data research on food/climate; AND we talk about the Annual Report of the Plant Powered Carbon Challenge (the data proves the point and this is a massive opportunity for more NYC based corporate offices to JOIN !)

Listen, learn, subscribe, share, comment - let's enthuse together. This is a FOOD shift is a #ClimateInfluence opportunity that has immediate impact, is scalable (institutional shift for the behavior change win) and includes JOY at the making food/eating food levels. What is not to love about this true #ClimateAction solution!!