As the UN climate summit in Paris draws to a close it has overlooked the dramatic impact that a simple diet shift could have on developed countries’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

If everybody in the UK adopted a Climatarian diet it could cut the national GHG  -or carbon equivalent - emissions by nearly 10%. In the US the GHG savings could be nearly five percent⁽⁴⁾. 

An action agenda agreed at the summit last week includes measures to reduce the climate impact of agriculture⁽¹⁾. But, says Climates social network, it fails to address the issue of food in the round. Despite optimism about the overall outcome of the summit and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s call for people to become part-time vegetarians⁽²⁾, individuals’ food choices have not been addressed.

Food causes 20-30% of all global greenhouse gas emissions and meat consumption and waste in the developed world needs rapidly to reduce to have a chance of meeting global warming targets⁽³⁾.

Climatarians are meat eaters who replace beef and lamb in their daily diet with chicken or pork.

The climatarian diet was devised by Climates network, as an easy way for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint without giving up meat.  The average UK citizen eating 110g of meat a day could save a tonne of CO₂e a year, equivalent to three return short-haul flights or driving 3,500 miles a year.

Beef and lamb have about five times more climate impact than pork and poultry. This is because ruminant animals - cows, sheep, goats and deer - need more energy intensive feed and produce more manure than pigs or chickens. Food ferments in their four stomach digestive system, so they burp methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas. 

“The UN is missing a trick by overlooking how much impact individual food choices have on climate change,” says Climates founder Biba Hartigan. “Developed countries like the UK and US eat the most meat and need to make the deepest cuts to their carbon emissions. Going climatarian offers a quick and easy way to do this. Individuals can cut their own carbon footprint by a tonne a year and help cut the national footprint by up to 10%.     

“Rather than supporting beef farmers to cut their GHG emissions by adopting more intensive farming practices the UN could look at encouraging a shift towards a climatarian diet and supporting farmers to adapt their business.

“Going climatarian is a win-win diet: it is good for the planet and it is good for health too.”  

People can find out more and pledge to go Climatarian at www.climates.network/climatarian and receive a handy shopping guide.

Climates is for people who want to take action on climate change in their everyday lives. In a friendly peer to peer support network, Climates puts people with questions in touch with ‘mates’ with the answers, swapping stories, photos, hints and tips to help each other do more.

Notes

1. http://newsroom.unfccc.int/lpaa/agriculture/press-release-lpaa-focus-agriculture-at-cop21/
2. Hope is growing that countries will agree to limit global warming to 1.5⁰C above pre-industrial temperatures, rather than the higher target of 2⁰C already set; also Europe and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are pushing for a legally binding agreement to be reviewed every five years: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35040478; COP21: Arnold Schwarzenegger: 'Go part-time vegetarian to protect the planet’:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35039465
3. To have a good chance of keeping global warming within 2 degrees, we need to reduce meat consumption and waste in the developed world by 50% by 2050: www.climates.network/climatarian.
4. Calculations:
1. UK 110g average meat consumption per adult per day. High meat eaters like UK adults could save 1 tonne CO2e per day by going Climatarian. 81% of the UK population are aged 16+. 
2. 81% of UK 64.6 million population is 52.326 million, with a potential to save 52.326 million tonnes CO2e. 
3. Total UK GHGs 2013: 569.9 million tonnes. Climatarian diet therefore has the opportunity to reduce UK GHGs by 9.2% or nearly 10%.
4. In the US, where the average carbon footprint is 19 tonnes CO2e, nearly twice that in the UK, food related GHGs form a smaller proportion of the overall national GHGs.
5. US average 156g meat consumption per person per day, with a proportionally higher beef consumption than in the UK, the savings per head by going Climatarian are potentially far greater. 
6. However if we assume the conservative UK estimate of GHG savings from adopting a Climatarian diet at 1 tonne per person and apply it to the US population of 318.9 million = 318.9 million tonnes CO2e.
7. Total US GHG emissions 2013 (EPA) 6,673 million tonnes CO2e.
8. Total potential GHG savings from Climatarian diet 318.9 million tonnes CO2e = 4.77 % or nearly 5% total US GHGs 2013.