Adopt a plant-based diet
The scientific consensus is clear: shifting towards a plant-based diet - focusing on whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, lentils, soy), nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables - is one of the most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint, support biodiversity, and improve overall health.
With over 58% of our food emissions coming from animal products, even small changes, such as reducing meat and dairy consumption, can have a big impact. A plant-based diet uses significantly less water and land while producing fewer emissions compared to a diet high in meat and dairy.
Did you know? If everyone in the UK replaced just one meat-based meal a week with a plant-based alternative, it would reduce emissions by as much as taking 16 million cars off the road!
Want to take the next step? The Vegan Society has created an easy-to-use app that will guide you through incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet.
Figure: The greenhouse gas emissions of different food items. Even accounting for transport, meat and dairy contribute far more to global greenhouse gas emissions than plant-based alternatives.