Introducing the HelloFresh Climate Rating

Making Sustainable Choices Easier

The new HelloFresh Climate Rating system helps you understand the environmental impact of every meal you prepare. With easy-to-recognise tags, now you can see how every recipe rates based on the carbon emissions of its ingredients. So you have the information you need to help you make more sustainable choices when it comes to your meals.

How the HelloFresh Climate Rating works

Every week you’ll notice A, B or C tags alongside each recipe on your menu. Meals rated A are the most carbon-efficient options on the menu. Meals rated B, lie in the centre of the spectrum. Meals rated C rank as the least carbon-efficient for that week. This will help you quickly identify the most climate friendly options available each week. So you can not only balance your meal choices with more sustainable options, but also understand the impact of every single recipe on your weekly menu.

Bringing science to the table

Food choices matter. The majority of a meal’s emissions are a result of the growth production and processing of its ingredients. That’s why the HelloFresh Climate Rating was developed to help you make more sustainable choices, by rating the environmental impact of the ingredients that make up each meal. Here’s how the Climate Rating is calculated. After looking at all HelloFresh recipes in 2022, we calculated the average amount of CO2 emissions produced by the ingredients that go into a HelloFresh meal. Using this as a benchmark, each week’s recipes are divided into A, B or C categories. Recipes marked as A produce less than ⅓ of the CO2 emissions of an average HelloFresh recipe – these are your Climate Conscious recipes. Recipes marked as B produce higher emissions than A, but still fewer than the average HelloFresh recipe. Recipes marked as C have the highest emissions on the menu.

What this means for you

As the menu changes from week to week, the number of recipes in each category will also change. But you’ll always have the choice to pick the most carbon-efficient recipes, or balance your impact by including lower-emission options. Try it for yourself. Take a look at this week's menu to see how different types of meals – for example meat, fish, or vegetables – affect your carbon footprint.

Methodology

To calculate the precise CO2 impact of every recipe, HelloFresh has partnered with HowGood, using its extensive sustainability database to calculate emissions from agriculture and ingredient processing for every recipe. This database is based on hundreds of scientific studies, factoring in geographical cultivation and processing practices of each region. Learn more about the methodology here.

The journey to reduce carbon emissions

Food systems are a major driver of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. While HelloFresh meals generate 25% fewer emissions than the same meals made from supermarket ingredients, we take our responsibility seriously, and are continually taking actions to reduce carbon emissions across every step of the journey. The HelloFresh Climate Rating system is inspired by the UN’s recommendation to halve carbon emissions by 2030 in order to keep global warming below 1.5°C. Each recipe is evaluated based on how well it aligns with this goal. Alongside Climate Conscious Recipes, the HelloFresh Climate Rating is a way to empower you to make more sustainable choices when it comes to your meals.