Examining the Effects of Carbon Emission Information on Restaurant Menu Items: Differential Effects of Positive Icons, Negative Icons, and Numeric Disclosures on Consumer Perceptions and Restaurant Evaluations

Abstract

Recent findings indicate that one-third of man-made greenhouse gas emissions are due to the global food system. Given these findings, several food retailers and restaurants have been exploring ways to communicate carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) information to consumers to provide objectively reliable estimates of emissions associated with individual menu items. Drawing from these retailer innovations and literatures on choice architecture and restaurant calorie labeling, we assess how consumer perceptions about CO2e emissions correspond to objective levels for a pool of restaurant items. We then show how various disclosures of CO2e emissions information, including positive, negative, and neutral formats, may affect results. We also show how CO2e disclosures lead to favorable restaurant outcomes, both directly and indirectly. Results have implications for restaurant management interested in disclosing emission information to consumers and for governmental and nongovernmental agencies interested in marketplace innovations to address global climate change.