The UK government’s official climate advisor, the Climate Change Committee, has published its Seventh Carbon Budget. The report provides recommendations for reducing carbon emissions, including advice on replacing meat and dairy with alternative proteins.
The recommendations include:
- Reduced meat and dairy consumption: Meat consumption — especially red meat — should be slashed by 25-30% by 2040, while dairy consumption should fall by 20% over the same period. Animal proteins must be replaced with plant-based foods and alternative proteins.
- Fewer cattle and sheep: The number of cattle and sheep in the country should decrease by 27% to reduce emissions. The farmland freed up could be used for woodland, peatland restoration, and bioenergy crops.
- Agricultural emissions: These should be reduced by 39% by 2040 through strategies such as improved productivity and reduced fertiliser use.
- Carbon leakage prevention: Increased meat and dairy imports should not be allowed to offset domestic reductions.
- Consumer awareness and affordability: The public should be educated about plant-based diets, and low-income households should receive support to change their dietary patterns. Clear labelling is also recommended.
“The right direction”
A previous Climate Change Committee report published in 2023 was critical of the UK government’s progress towards adopting climate mitigation measures, noting that legislators had not set out plans to support the public in shifting to low-carbon diets. The authors found that a 20% reduction in meat and dairy consumption by 2030 could reduce emissions by 5 MtCO2e.
A recent analysis by GFI Europe found that the UK government has invested £75 million in alternative protein innovation so far, making the country Europe’s second-largest public research funder in the field. However, figures published by WWF-UK in December indicate that the proportion of livestock protein-based foods sold at supermarkets is still almost double the recommended levels.
“This is the right direction to take for the food system, in light of the huge impact that animal agriculture has on our planet,” said Jasmijn de Boo, Global CEO at ProVeg International, in response to the Climate Change Committee report. “We urge the UK government to take its climate advisors seriously, heed this advice and incorporate it into government food policies as soon as possible.”
