CO2 emissions are already being reduced in Mercedes-Benz canteens in Germany

Mercedes-Benz wants to act more sustainably and protect the climate, also when it comes to food. In order for diners in its restaurants to choose the climate, Daimler Gastronomy, the subsidiary company that provides catering services, collaborates with Eaternity.  

According to FS/DFV, the operator of the canteens is contributing to climate protection and is now trying to calculate the ecological footprint of the food. The first milestone is to reduce the CO₂ footprint of purchased and produced food by up to 15 percent by the end of the year through food selection and an appropriate range of meals.

«The food sector is responsible for a significant part of global greenhouse gas emissions. As dining room operators, we want to set standards and be a model to follow.” Moritz Mack, Daimler's Director of Gastronomy, said.

Since September 2021, employees of the Stuttgart-based car factory can choose from a vegan menu line every day, in addition to other vegetarian dishes. At the same time, the company has expanded the vegan range in its stores.   

A vegan falafel dish, for example, has less than a tenth of the EGEIs of a pork loin dish. In addition, the company has set the goal of reducing plastic consumption in the hospitality industry. According to the company, around 58 tons of plastic packaging are avoided every year.


To ensure that customers can make climate-friendly food choices based on facts, Daimler Gastronomy is reporting the carbon footprint of menus in canteens such as those at the Untertürkheim, Sindelfingen and Vaihingen locations.  

To calculate greenhouse gases, Mercedes-Benz has partnered with the Swiss Eaternity Institute. With the help of software, analyze the climate impact of food throughout the entire product life cycle, from the field to the kitchen.

 The carbon footprint of the respective menu is displayed as so-called CO₂ equivalents. This means that in addition to carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases are also taken into account. This is much more significant, since methane and nitrous oxide, for example, also contribute to global warming. Employees can find CO₂ equivalents in menu information, which can also be accessed in an app, among other things.

The famous automobile brand serves its employees more than nine million meals a year in addition to the take away offer in stores and bistros. By offering that level of transparency about the carbon footprint of menus, your employees will be able to make conscious, climate-friendly food decisions in the future.