Operators, designers and consultants can access equipment-specific data, free of charge, through a new easy-to-use web portal
More and more specifiers need to know the carbon footprint of the equipment they are selecting. Until now, the need to gather that information from multiple sources has been a time-consuming chore, requiring a search through multiple websites and manually finding the information. Now FEA has taken a lead with the launch of its Foodservice Carbon Gateway, a centralised platform where operators, designers and consultants can access the information they need free of charge, and where manufacturers can upload their latest carbon data for a minimal cost.
“Our members and the wider foodservice industry have been asking for a centralised hub of carbon data,” says Luke Slater, FEA’s technical and policy director. “The Foodservice Carbon Gateway is exactly that. It’s been designed by the industry, for the industry. The wider concept is that everyone needs to be together, not split out in different locations, because consultants and specifiers require fast access to data, rather than manually searching websites or cutsheets for one or two figures.”
Power to the specifiers
Foodservice equipment manufacturers currently use a myriad of recognised methodologies and approaches to calculating their product’s carbon footprints. Regulations don’t prescribe that any particular method is right or wrong and therefore neither does the Gateway – manufacturers can record their data, state which method they used, state whether it was independently verified or not and choose whether to show only embodied carbon, or both embodied and operational carbon data.
“This flexibility is absolutely crucial,” says Luke. “The decision as to whether to accept one methodology over another, or a requirement for verification, should rest with the interested party that wants the data.” The Gateway allows users to search by a particular methodology or other variables, or to show all product data regardless of its origin. “This puts the power back with specifiers, whilst encouraging the industry to continue the excellent progress that has been made over the past few years in making data available.”
Keeping the cost down
Most manufacturers have carbon data for their products, but making this data easily accessible to the market has usually come with restrictive conditions and a hefty cost. So FEA has tackled cost head on.
The Foodservice Carbon Gateway system will be completely free of charge for consultants, dealers and distributors to access data. There’ll be a nominal fee to manufacturers for uploading their data and they will be able to upload unlimited product lines. “The Gateway’s reporting features will help dealers and consultants access data easily, in one location, at the level of detail they require, and at zero cost,” says Luke.
Going live!
FEA has invested to create the Gateway as part of its wider digital transformation programme. It’s scheduled to go live shortly, hosted on the new FEA website, and will allow manufacturers to upload their information, and specifiers to access it. The FEA will be demonstrating this all-new service at its AGM taking place on 18th November at the Staverton Park Hotel, the day before the Industry Conference at the same venue. FEA Members can join the AGM free of charge by registering their place here.
Since it is designed as a universal platform, any foodservice equipment supplier can upload data to the Foodservice Carbon Gateway, with FEA members receiving a discounted rate. This includes importers, if they have permission to share the manufacturer’s data.
Market reaction
“The launch of the Gateway is a pivotal moment for the foodservice equipment sector” says Luke. “Our industry’s progress in carbon footprinting has been extraordinary. Making all the data available in a centralised location will be a major benefit for those manufacturers who have invested heavily in their carbon calculations, since they will be getting their data in front of the people requesting it.”
Benjamin Donaldson, Design Director at MYA Consulting said “The FEA’s new Foodservice Carbon Gateway is a welcome step forward for the industry, providing a simple, easy-to-use, centralised hub for accessing carbon data. We are increasingly seeing requests for this information on larger projects, where accurate and reliable carbon data is becoming essential to informing design decisions.”
John Cunningham is chief executive of FEA. “We want to thank all those who have helped us bring the Gateway to life, and we urge all manufacturers to upload their data,” he says. “Doing so is not only important for the consultant and dealer markets, but also gives great insight into the industry’s state of play in terms of carbon reporting and the trend towards reduction, and that information will be pivotal for FEA’s ongoing discussions around policy development, both in the UK and EU.”
The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) is the independent, authoritative voice of the foodservice equipment industry, representing over 180 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial catering equipment – from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk