Food production accounts for nearly a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. But as the University of California health system is proving, food leaders are de facto climate leaders. Four out of five of the health system’s medical centers have signed onto a leading-edge cross-sector platform that is about to make it even easier.

The Cool Food Pledge is a new platform to help companies, universities, hospitals, and public facilities offer diners more of what they want while slashing food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030. Signatories will track the climate impact of the food they serve, develop plans to sell delicious dishes with smaller climate footprints, and promote their achievements as leaders in a growing movement.

The pledge brings together a number of high-profile sustainability organizations including Health Care Without Harm, Practice Greenhealth, World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment, and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance. The Cool Food Pledge is also pleased to have Sodexo as a supporter, helping promote the pledge’s activities with the facilities it serves.

At the Global Climate Action Summit, a group of dining providers serving more than 60 million meals annually announced their commitment to the Cool Food Pledge. The pledge aims to have 250 signatories by 2021. The original signatories include:

• UC Davis Medical Center
• UCLA Health
• UC San Diego Health
• UCSF Health
• California Academy of Sciences
• Genentech
• Max Burgers
• Monde Nissin
• Morgan Stanley
• WeWork