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This landmark IPCC report considers plant-based diets as a significant opportunity for reducing emissions, and includes reducing meat consumption as a policy recommendation.
Reducing food waste and improving farming practices (e.g. to halt soil damage and desertification) are also discussed as vital steps in protecting our food system and environment.
IPCC Co-Chair, Eduardo Calvo Buendía, said:
“The food system as a whole, which includes food production and processing, transport, retail consumption, loss and waste is currently responsible for up to a third of our global greenhouse gas emissions”.
According to Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest carbon budget, a range of low-carbon choices will form part of a “balanced pathway” towards net zero – with food and diet changes making “smaller, but important contributions” to this transition. Household low-carbon choices contribute to one-third of emissions reduction in 2040, while a shift in average meat and dairy consumption are anticipated to make up 6% of these household emissions reductions. The CCC note that:
“By 2040, 25% of meat (30% of red meat) and 20% of dairy is replaced with lower-carbon foods, compared to 2019 consumption levels”
Drawing on evidence from a Citizens’ Panel, which was convened as part of the report, the CCC found that:
Interestingly, much of the news coverage of the Carbon Budget focused on diet shifts, despite a greater emphasis on other measures. (Electrification and low-carbon electricity supply make up the largest share of emissions reductions in the CCC’s pathway – 60% by 2040).
A three-month online research and engagement project conducted by Hubbub worked with 175 UK homeowners (followed by polling of 501 UK homeowners) to understand how to support UK households in the transition to net zero.
On diets and food, the work found people’s motivations involve a mix of considerations about health, costs and taste. Health was the biggest priority when it came to diet, but people also reported cutting down on meat due to increased costs.
When it came to tackling food waste, the expert advice and engagement offered to households helped to drive meaningful changes. By engaging in the project, 75% (130) of 175 Household participants said they felt more confident about reducing and preventing food waste at home.
More widely, the work suggests that further measures are needed to enable households to buy more loose fruit and vegetables, and increase the range of vegetarian choices available; while in terms of communication and engagement, the report suggests there is a need reframe meat reduction more positively.
What’s the public appetite for climate-friendly food choices?
Making sense of public opinion on sustainable food and diet changes in 2025 – from willingness and perception gaps, to policies and public engagement.