Calyx Tracks Carbon Footprint of Food as Part of AO Startups
Cleantech startup Calyx provides data-driven insights to understand the environmental impact of food items, including their carbon footprint.
“The AO is committed to finding opportunities to reduce the event's carbon footprint, and with Calyx, we are excited about piloting their technology to bring innovation to our food programme,” Tennis Australia Head of Innovation Dr Machar Reid said.
The launch of AO StartUps is the latest step in Tennis Australia’s innovation programme, which helps startup companies pilot their cutting-edge technology at the AO and other areas of Tennis Australia’s business.
Calyx will be working behind the scenes at AO 2023 to footprint food menus, detailing environmental impact, including carbon emissions, biodiversity, and water. The goal is to have the sustainability of food items listed on menus in the future. This will help people make better decisions about what to eat.
“The food we eat accounts for significant global greenhouse gas emissions and is a major contributor to biodiversity loss. We’re hoping that the sustainability insights provided by Calyx will help chefs and diners understand how their food choices impact climate change,” Tennis Australia Sustainability Director Matthew Nicholas said.
“With close to one million fans visiting the AO each year, we love the idea of deepening their understanding of the environmental impact of food choices through impact transparency, which might include labelling menu items with a Climate Score or carbon footprint,” Calyx founder and CEO Lauren Branson said.
Branson has spent more than 20 years in biodiversity and conservation, seeing first-hand the impact climate change has had on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This led to the development of Calyx, a company that specialises in using data-driven insights to reduce the impact of our food system on planetary boundaries.
“Food is tangible in our everyday lives and takes centre stage at the Australian Open. It’s an exciting opportunity for Calyx to partner with Tennis Australia through AO Startups and help educate their stakeholders on the impact of food choices and support TA to be the innovative climate leader they have committed to being,” Mrs Branson said.
Source: Tennis Australia
