How is this different from our general Food and drink purchased-goods page?

The general page covers the organisation's own catering and hospitality. This page covers food and drink supplied to clients as part of a trip package the organisation sells.

Do we need to itemise every dish, or can we use categories?

Itemising individual items (for example, wine, bread, meat dishes) against the platform's item-level factors gives the most accurate result, but a sensible categorised breakdown is a reasonable interim step if full itemisation isn't practical yet.

What if catering is subcontracted to local suppliers per destination?

Request quantity breakdowns from each local supplier where possible; if only spend is available for a given destination, use that as a fallback while working towards itemised data over time.

Should drinks included in the package but not consumed still count?

Base the figure on what was actually provided or purchased for the trip, since that reflects the emissions incurred, rather than trying to estimate unconsumed portions separately.

Is there a spend-based option if we can't get itemised quantities?

Yes, £ or $ spend on catering is available as a fallback, but itemised kg, litre or unit data against the platform's specific food and drink items is more accurate and preferred.

Activity data·Sector & specialist

How to measure emissions from Trips: Food and drink

Trips: Food and drink covers meals, snacks and beverages provided as part of a travel package, reported under Scope 3 Category 1 - ideally by specific item (bread, meat, wine, soft drinks and more) rather than a single blended catering figure. Collect quantities in kg, litre or unit count from catering invoices or menu specifications; itemised data gives a more accurate result than spend alone.

Scope: Scope 3 Category 1
What activity data you need: kg, litre, Unit
Activity data: Sector & specialist

What counts as Trips: Food and drink

Food and drink provided as part of organised trips - meals, snacks and beverages included in the package. Reported by specific item where possible, using the platform's item-level food and drink factors, rather than a single blended catering figure.

Distinct from the general 'Food and drink' purchased-goods page used for an organisation's own catering and hospitality: this page is for food and drink supplied as a component of a trip product sold to clients, under Category 1. The platform's item-level library - bread, meat ready meals, wine, soft drinks and many more - lets you reflect the actual menu rather than a single average, which matters where trip menus vary significantly by destination or trip type.

How to collect the data

Use catering supplier invoices or menu specifications giving quantities (kg, litre or unit count) by food and drink item served across the trip. Where a blended catering spend figure is all that's available, that's a weaker fallback than itemised quantities, so push suppliers or in-house catering teams for a breakdown where possible.

What activity data you need

Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.

kg
litre
Unit

Which emission scope it falls under

Trips: Food and drink activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 1 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.

Scope 3 Category 1

By emission scope

Scope 3 Category 1

Compliance frameworks

Compliance & reporting frameworks

See the full list: Food and drink items (320) →

Common questions

How is this different from our general Food and drink purchased-goods page?: The general page covers the organisation's own catering and hospitality. This page covers food and drink supplied to clients as part of a trip package the organisation sells.
Do we need to itemise every dish, or can we use categories?: Itemising individual items (for example, wine, bread, meat dishes) against the platform's item-level factors gives the most accurate result, but a sensible categorised breakdown is a reasonable interim step if full itemisation isn't practical yet.
What if catering is subcontracted to local suppliers per destination?: Request quantity breakdowns from each local supplier where possible; if only spend is available for a given destination, use that as a fallback while working towards itemised data over time.
Should drinks included in the package but not consumed still count?: Base the figure on what was actually provided or purchased for the trip, since that reflects the emissions incurred, rather than trying to estimate unconsumed portions separately.
Is there a spend-based option if we can't get itemised quantities?: Yes, £ or $ spend on catering is available as a fallback, but itemised kg, litre or unit data against the platform's specific food and drink items is more accurate and preferred.

Next step

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