Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital has signed the Coolfood Pledge, a global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food service by 30 per cent by 2035.

The Coolfood Pledge is a science-based, globally recognized initiative of the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organization working to improve people’s lives, protect nature and halt climate change.

“At Holland Bloorview, we recognize that the health of children is deeply connected to the health of our planet,” says Stewart Wong, vice president, communications, strategy and sustainability. “By signing the Coolfood Pledge, we are reinforcing our commitment to building a more sustainable future through meaningful, measurable action. Reducing food-related emissions while expanding appealing plant-based options is one way we can help create healthier outcomes for children, families and generations to come.”

Working with Nourish to understand generated insight from purchased food data

To help with implementation of this pledge, Holland Bloorview joined Nourish Leadership’s 100 Million Better Bites campaign to improve the nutrition, deliciousness and climate impact of food served in health care settings.

By partnering with Nourish, Holland Bloorview also becomes a founding member of the Nourish Commons, an implementation network giving them access to a wealth of resources, including the ability to analyze purchasing data to objectively assess food-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Between March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, Holland Bloorview purchased 68,319 kg of food, generating an estimated 566 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e). If the hospital reaches the 30 per cent reduction target by 2035, it will cut emissions by 142 tons of CO₂e a year, the equivalent to burning 71,500 kg of coal.

Encouragingly, Holland Bloorview’s average “emissions per plate” already sits below the average of other health care members of the Coolfood Pledge, a strong starting point as they work toward their reduction target.

“We commend Holland Bloorview for its leadership in harnessing the power of food to advance both human and planetary health,” says Amy Ford, director of planetary health at Nourish. “In a relatively short period of time, Holland Bloorview has demonstrated how individual organizations can drive meaningful change. By committing to the Coolfood Pledge, they are taking an important step toward reducing food-related emissions while supporting healthier, more sustainable food choices. We are excited to welcome them into our community of change-making hospitals, and look forward to supporting their continued progress toward their 2035 goal.”

How Holland Bloorview is addressing food related greenhouse gas emissions

Holland Bloorview is already taking action to address food-related GHGs as part of its 30 per cent target. In partnership with long-time food service provider Sodexo Canada, Holland Bloorview has implemented the following actions:   

• Since March 2025, the hospital has been weighing and tracking waste during the food preparation stage. This includes tracking any inedible parts (pits, bones) as well as unusable or expired foods.
• Since May 2026, they’ve also been weighing “post-consumer” waste. This includes uneaten food from in-hospital meals as well as retail waste.
• In total since launching, Holland Bloorview has prevented 823 kg of food waste, avoiding roughly 6 metric tons of CO₂ compared to the baseline. In the most recent quarter alone, waste was reduced by 19 by per cent.
• Adjusted inpatient and retail meal services to include more plant-based options.

Additional efforts to minimize food waste include redistributing end-of-day Tim Hortons items to inpatient families when available and exploring donation opportunities through Second Harvest for surplus food after major hospital events such as conferences.

Working in partnership with Nourish and Sodexo, Holland Bloorview is proud to play a leading role in reducing environmental impact across the health care sector.

To learn more about Holland Bloorview's sustainability goals and milestones, please see our 2024-25 impact report here.

Story and photos by William Lam