Carbon Emissions News - vegconomist: the vegan business magazine

IKEA Expands Plant-Based Range to Cut Emissions, Aims to “Remove or Replace Dairy”

February 15, 2023

IKEA has published its annual sustainability report, revealing that offering more plant-based foods is an important part of the company’s strategy to cut emissions. The Swedish retailer said it had seen an increase in the popularity of plant-based options, with the veggie ball and plant ball now accounting for 17% of frozen meatball sales — up from 14% in 2021. In the chain’s in-store Swedish Food Markets, the meatballs have increased from 24% to 26% of sales. Meanwhile, IKEA Germany has been experimenting with a new scientifically-backed communication approach for promoting plant-based foods. Following the trial, sales of vegan hot dogs have almost doubled compared to 2019 figures. However, this has been partially attributed to a decrease in price. The changes are part of IKEA’s …

Organisations and brands:

IKEA

The founders turning carbon dioxide into protein

Arkeon founders. © Arkeon

Investments & Acquisitions

Arkeon Biotechnologies Secures Over €‎10M to Convert CO2 Into Food

December 23, 2022

Vienna’s Arkeon Biotechnologies, a startup converting CO2 into functional, carbon-negative ingredients for food; raised seed funding of €‎6.5 million last March and now announces it has secured another four million euros. Arkeon’s technology uses gas fermentation to transform CO2 into proteins and the process, according to the company, generates all 20 essential amino acids using a microorganism that produces them in just one fermentation process. The resulting proteins require 99% less land and only 0.01% of the amount of water used by conventional agriculture. New investors include ICL, aws Gründerfonds, FoodHack and Tet Ventures, with the fresh funds going towards the expansion of its proprietary technology as well as the planning of a new R&D centre. “We are very pleased to have the support of …

Organisations and brands:

arkeon

Studies & Numbers

Consumers Urged to Cut 40% of Emissions by Eating One Plant-Based Meal Per Day

October 31, 2022

This World Vegan Day, plant-based brand Wicked Kitchen is urging consumers to help the planet by eating a plant-based meal every day. According to the company, this could reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by over 40%, which is more than any other action such as recycling or buying local. It could also save four animals per person per year from slaughter, meaning 1.2 billion would be saved annually in the US alone if everyone made the change. “With every bite, consumers have the power to radically transform the world to become a more compassionate, healthier place,” said Pete Speranza, CEO of Wicked Kitchen. “What we choose to eat every day can truly help ameliorate human and animal suffering, environmental crises, and infectious and chronic diseases. …

Organisations and brands:

Wicked Kitchen

Rising Trend Towards Vegan Friendly Cars

October 11, 2022

“There is not a completely vegan car on the market,” the Vegan Society says in its Vegan Vehicles: The Future of Cars Report 2022. However, car manufacturers have been offering non-leather interiors for a while, with many pledging to use alternative materials in their new and existing models in coming years. Animal leather has traditionally been the standard option for premium car seats and interiors, but current luxury trends do not involve the slaughter of animals. Demand for alternative materials is making the automobile industry incorporate more vegan options for its models, adding to the rise in the global synthetic leather market which is on track to reach $67.2 billion by 2030, according to Straits Research. Growing trend towards animal-free interiors In 2020, PETA published its …

Organisations and brands:

The Vegan Society

Products & Launches

Scrambled OGGS Launches in Over 500 Sainsbury’s Stores Across the UK

September 15, 2022September 14, 2022

UK egg alternative brand OGGS is launching its plant-based Scrambled OGGS over 500 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK this September 14th. According to Oggs, Sainsbury’s has decided to increase distribution from 126 to almost every store following the news that Scrambled OGGS is the UK’s best-performing egg alternative. CEO and Founder of OGGS, Hannah Carter, commented: “The launch of Scrambled OGGS® nationwide marks the next stage in our mission to remove unnecessary egg products from the food chain. If you could switch eggs for a plant-based option that tastes great and produces 60% less CO2e – why wouldn’t you?” No more breakfasts without eggs Sales of plant-based egg alternatives in the UK have grown by 99% in the last year, with vegans and carbon-reducers looking …

Organisations and brands:

Oggs

Sainsbury's

Studies & Numbers

Upfield Says Its Customers Have Saved Six Million Tonnes of CO2 in a Year by Choosing Plant-Based Spreads

August 2, 2021

Margarine and spread company Upfield has calculated the greenhouse gas emissions its customers have prevented over the past year by choosing its plant-based products. The total is estimated at up to six million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Organisations and brands:

Upfield

©Renault

Studies & Numbers

The Kinder Cars Index Reveals Top 50 ‘Kindest Cars Available to Buy Today’ in Terms of Materials and Emissions

September 18, 2020September 15, 2020

The Kinder Cars Index, a new study by money.co.uk, analyses 50 vehicles that are currently sold by major enterprises to find the best options for vegan and planet-friendly cars.

Sainsbury’s Commits £1 billion to Become Net Zero By 2040

January 29, 2020

UK retail giant Sainsbury’s yesterday announced it is committed to investing £1 billion over the next two decades to become Net Zero by 2040. The billion pounds will be invested in seven areas: carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging and water usage and increasing recycling, biodiversity and healthy and sustainable eating.

Organisations and brands:

Sainsbury's

Company News

Quorn to be First Major Brand to Introduce Carbon Labelling

January 16, 2020

Plant-based food giant Quorn will be the first major brand to introduce carbon emissions labelling on its products in a drive to help consumers better understand the impact of their shopping on the environment, it was revealed this week.

Organisations and brands:

Quorn

©Veganuary

Society

Veganuary 2020 Will Save CO2 eq of 450,000 Flights and Over Million Animals

September 11, 2023January 2, 2020

Veganuary has released new statistics which show that if 350,000 people worldwide go vegan for January 2020 – as the charity is expecting – it will save the carbon dioxide equivalent of 450,000 flights and more than one million animals.

Organisations and brands:

Veganuary

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Vegan Skincare Products Created With Icelandic Brown Algae by ascocell

November 14, 2019

Vegan skincare and dietary supplement brand ascocellTM creates products derived from wild brown algae, with a mission to improving skin, body, and well-being. The algae, grown near the Westfjords Islands, is said to maintain healthy skin and support the therapeutic treatment of neurodermatitis and psoriasis.

Organisations and brands:

ascocell

Cosmetics & Bodycare

Carbon-Neutral Organic Cosmetics by PURE SKIN FOOD

March 1, 2022November 14, 2019

The Styrian cosmetics label PURE SKIN FOOD by No Planet B GmbH has taken a further step in its approach to sustainability – the company is now officially carbon-neutral. For the label’s founders, being environmentally friendly and conserving resources is part of their corporate responsibility.

Image: Oatly

Society

Petition by Oatly: CO2 Labelling of Food to Become Law

September 11, 2023October 16, 2019

Swedish oat drink manufacturer Oatly has submitted a petition to the Petitions Committee of Germany demanding that all food sold in the German food retail trade be labelled with the greenhouse gases (CO2e) emitted by their production.

Organisations and brands:

Oatly

©Rebel Kitchen

Company News

Plant-Based Alternative Brand Rebel Kitchen Announces Carbon Neutral Certification

August 21, 2019

Rebel Kitchen, one of the leading plant-based food and drink producers in the UK, has announced that it is now officially a carbon neutral company, as certified by Carbon Analytics. In just 6 months, Rebel Kitchen has offset their entire business-wide carbon footprint for 2018-19 to become recognised as a carbon neutral organisation.

oekologischer-fussabdruck-carbon footstep

Society

New Study: Vegan Diet Reduces Carbon Footprint by 73%

September 11, 2023July 19, 2019

According to a new study, a vegan diet is the “single biggest measure” that can be taken to reduce environmental pollution. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that not eating meat and dairy products can reduce a person’s carbon footprint by up to 73%.

Fairs & Events

Way Out West: First Vegan, Climate Transparent Music Festival

December 11, 2019July 3, 2019

Way Out West is a Swedish music festival based in Gothenburg that hosts over 100,000 visitors every summer. The festival became meat-free and milk-free in 2013 and this year will partner with Oatly to make a 100% climate transparant event.

Organisations and brands:

Oatly

Sinnbild des ökologischen Fußabdrucks: Ein Baum mit halb Blättern und Rasen unter sich und eine Seite mit kahlen Ästen und verdörrtem Boden.

Society

People Who Go Vegan in Germany Reduce Their Carbon Footprint by Two Tons

September 11, 2023May 22, 2019

The German magazine SPIEGEL recently commissioned ecologist Joseph Poor of the University of Oxford, UK, to calculate the carbon footprint of a German vegan. The results showed that vegans produce nine tons of greenhouse gases instead of eleven, with an otherwise unchanged lifestyle.

Scientists argue that a shift to plant-based diets, a global phaseout of industrialized animal farming, and a global standardization of climate change metrics are effective measures to reduce global warming.

Society

Proposed Carbon Label Helps Consumers Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

September 11, 2023December 21, 2018

According to research published in Nature Climate Change, consumers tend to greatly underestimate the carbon emission associated with food.

Studies & Numbers

Study Shows that Plant-Based Diets are Important for Controlling Climate Change

April 20, 2020November 9, 2018

According to a new study published in the journal Nature, plant-based diets, improved agricultural practices and less food waste are needed to reduce the food system’s negative environmental impact. The study’s lead author told Deutsche Welle that there is “little chance of staying within environmental boundaries” if no action is taken.

Studies & Numbers

Study: Beyond Meat Burger is Significantly More Environmentally Friendly than Beef

March 10, 2019October 15, 2018

Beyond Meat has recently published a Life Cycle Assessment report comparing the environmental impact of the vegan Beyond Burger with its beef counterpart. A team of researchers from the Center for Sustainable Resources at the University of Michigan found that the Beyond Burger has a significantly lower environmental impact than a traditional beef burger.

Organisations and brands:

Beyond Meat

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The vegconomist-newsletter
information for decision-makers