To adapt to a net zero world and halve our carbon footprint by 2030, we need to reduce our carbon emissions from food. About a quarter of carbon emissions come our diet. The average person creates 6kg of carbon emissions from what they eat daily. Ideally, we would halve this to 3kg by 2030 to stay on track to reach net zero targets.

We produce, consume and throw away food in a very inefficient way. Worldwide, we produce enough food for everyone to consume 5000 calories a day, when an adult only needs 2000-2500 calories a day, yet people go hungry. What is even worse is that we throw away over a third of our food. Food waste contribute 8-10% to greenhouse gas emissions globally. Meat production is energy intensive, and it is the main reason for deforestation to meet our increasing demand for meat.

How can billions of people eat sustainably without destroying the planet? The answer is that we all need to adopt a plant-based diet.

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet is a diet that is mainly based on plants but does NOT necessarily exclude meat. It means plants should make up at least two-thirds of our diet and meat makes up to one third of our diet. In a typical meal, meat should be an accompaniment to a dish rather than the main part. But what is meant by ‘plants’? Plants include the following:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Seeds and nuts
• Plant milks (oat milk, soya milk, nut milks)
• Spices, herbs and seasonings
• Condiments
• Plant based protein (tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, protein rich fruit and vegetables)
• Drinks

A plant-based diet fits well in a net-zero world because we only need to reduce half of our meat and dairy intake, so it does not need to be as restrictive as vegetarian and vegan diets.

Different types of plant-based diets

Vegan	Vegetarian	Pescatarian	Flexitarian
No meat No dairy (milk, eggs)	No meat	No meat except fish	Sometimes eat meat and sometime eat vegetarian/vegan meals

There is a range of diets you could adopt in a net zero world. Another way to adapt to a plant-based diet to suit your tastes and add more variety is to search through world cuisines that are naturally plant-based. Countries that have a cuisine that is naturally more plant-based are the Mediterranean diet, Indian diet and the Japanese diet.

Impact of plant-based diets on carbon emissions

A plant-based diet could reduce your carbon emissions by up to 2 tons a year depending on which one you adopt. Different plant-based diets reduce carbon emissions by varying amounts, but it is worth experimenting and choosing which one is right for you. Eating less meat means we reduce our energy demand, and less land is needed to be cleared to rear animals. On top of helping you to reduce your emissions significantly towards the goal of halving them my 2030, it will improve your health immensely and potentially save you money as plants are cheaper than meat.

Health benefits of a plant-based diet

Research from Harvard Medical School has shown that a plant-based diet reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancers because plants are full of unhealthy, unsaturated fats. Plants include lots of fibre which helps with digestion and improves gut health. Better gut health is associated with reducing auto-immune diseases as it is associated with managing weight, blood glucose, inflammation and heart health. Plant-based diets are also richer in vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of plant food groups increases your intake of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K. Vitamin D is known to be important for supporting the healthy functioning of the immune system and bone strength. Vitamins A, C and E all protect eye health and skin health. Plant-based food also have many minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc and an increase of these minerals can improve bone strength, sleep and prevent infections.