Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Thai and Japanese Restaurants for Reduction Management Strategies

Quantifying the total GHG emissions along the whole value chain is essential for effective greenhouse gas management. Two types of the most popular restaurants in Thailand were included in this study: (1) a restaurant that specialized in Northeastern Thai cuisine with an area of 94 m2 and 41,000 clients per year; and (2) a restaurant serving Japanese-Thai fusion meals with an area of 284 m2 with 59,000 clients per year. Notably, the scope 3 GHG emissions were the highest (76–81% of total emissions). The main contributors at both restaurants were raw material acquisition, followed by transportation of raw materials and waste management. It was suggested that the restaurants should not overlook the major sources of scope 3 GHG emissions, especially in food procurement, transportation from suppliers, and waste management. GHG management measures that could be applied include: using local food ingredients, buying raw materials from nearby locations, simulating transport routes to minimize the distance of transport, and separating food wastes and sorting recyclable packaging wastes for further use. In addition, the restaurants could flag low-carbon footprint meals on their menus to engage their customers in contributing to GHG reductions.