Would you like guilt with that?

Can you imagine the US or Canadian governments promoting beans as a climate-friendly alternative to beef? The Swedish National Food Administration has done just that, putting out new climate-focused food guidelines.

The New York Times this week reported on Sweden's food-based efforts to measure and reduce their CO2e emissions:

New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from whole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, are appearing on some grocery items and restaurant menus around the country.

Among the most interesting tidbits in the piece is the discussion of Max Burger, a longstanding Swedish burger chain, where menus now feature GHG emissions figures for every. single. item. "Max De Luxe Burger"? 2.9 kh CO2e. But the "GI Chicken Burger"? A mere 0.3 kg CO2e. (Entire Menu, Google Translated) And the best part? It's actually changing behavior. Sales of lower-emissions items have risen 20% since the info went up.

Read more about Max's impressive environmental efforts. I wonder if they're actually healthier than the American chains in addition to being much greener... Oh, well, would you look at that--transfat and GMO-free. For fast food, these guys seem pretty great!

Can you imagine McDonald's or Burger King listing emissions data on their menus? No, I can't either.