Climates: a friendly network where people help each other tackle climate change. Meet new mates, get ideas for simple and effective things to do. Pledge to take action and watch your carbon savings grow.
Action

A vegetarian diet saves over 1.2 tonnes CO2e per year. 

Food causes 20-30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Changes to your diet can make a really significant difference.

In terms of climate impact, many consider the second best thing to a vegan diet to be vegetarian which includes dairy products and eggs. However, the US Environmental Working Group, which has done a lot of work in this area, finds that a vegetarian diet which includes cheese is less climate friendly than a diet which leaves out cheese and includes chicken.

If adopting a new diet wholesale is not for you, check out the many other food actions that you can take to cut your food related CO2e emissions. 

Source for climate impact of a vegetarian diet: Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters,fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK, Peter Scarborough et al, Oxford University 2014.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Bone. 

 

22.11.2015
 
Take Action
Operations
Carbon Savings
Total Carbon saved on this action 9849 kg CO2e
Rating
0 votes
Recommend
Comments
Order by: 
Per page:
 
  •  Biba Hartigan: 
     

    If you're thinking of going vegetarian is this something you'll be putting into practise straight away or building up to?

    I've been vegetarian on and off throughout my life. I am attracted to it for many reasons, health, my figure, concern for the welfare of animals, greenhouse gas emissions and land use, but have found it difficult to stick to in differing circumstances.

    Firstly when I was at university (a frighteningly long time ago) all I could get to eat was chips, apples and cottage cheese, not the most balanced diet, so returned to the meat eating fold due to malnutrition. More recently the issue has been with feeding my diverse household the kind of foods that they need and like which has been tricky to combine with a vegetarian diet. Perfectly possible of course if you have time, unfortunately, that always seems to be in short supply especially between working and dining hours.


    How about you? How easy do you think it will be to integrate going vegetarian into your lifestyle?

     
     08.04.2016 
    0 points
     
  •  Biba Hartigan: 
     
     

    Would you give up cheese to slow climate change?

     
     22.03.2016 
    0 points