greenhouse emissions

red raw meat on old wooden table

©Mara Zemgaliete - stock.adobe.com
Sustainability / Environment

New Study Finds Climate Impact Labels on Menus Encourage Less Red Meat Consumption

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that climate impact labels on fast food menus are an effective strategy for promoting sustainable food consumption.  When presented with high-climate and low-climate impact menu options, more participants ordered a sustainable (ie non-red meat) fast food item compared to the control group. According to researchers, these findings suggest such labels offer an effective strategy for reducing red meat menu selections in favor of more eco-friendly choices.  As the authors state, animal-based food production, especially beef, is estimated to be responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing red meat consumption could lower diet-related emissions by as much as 55%. Since about one-third of Americans consume fast food every day, the …

more

Cows/ cattle

Courtesy of ProVeg International

Studies & Numbers

Report Says Replacing Meat With Plants Could Slash UK Agricultural Methane Emissions

Independent think tank Green Alliance has published a report outlining how the UK could cut methane emissions by 42% by the end of the decade. This figure is considerably more than the 30% commitment made by the UK and other countries at last year’s COP26 summit. Achieving it would partially depend on replacing meat and dairy products with more sustainable alternatives such as plant proteins, a move that could reduce agricultural methane emissions by 8%. Shifting towards a healthier dietary pattern, with less protein and more fresh produce, would lead to a further 8% cut. The report also outlines other ways of cutting methane production in the areas of agriculture, energy, and waste. A drastic reduction is vital, since methane has 80 times more warming …

more

ISS Guckeheimer Chef with Plants

©ISS Guckeheimer
Company News

ISS Guckenheimer Partners with Humane Society to Make Menu 55% Plant-Based by 2025

ISS Guckenheimer, a leading food services provider, has pledged to make 55% of its menu options fully plant-based by 2025. This represents the strongest such commitment to date by any food service provider, the company says. As part of the Cool Food Pledge, the company is seeking to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 25% over the next three years. To meet these goals, Guckenhimer is working with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to develop plant-based recipes, culinary trainings and greenhouse gas assessments. The company also intends to increase the number of plant-based menu offerings, reduce its reliance on meat-based dishes, and manage the portion sizes of animal protein. Guckeheimer is further enhancing its climate change impact by rolling …

more

Organisations and brands:

© Vaceslav Romanov - stock.adobe.com
Society

UN Report Warns Investors to Prepare for Major Shift to Plant-Based Global Food System

A United Nations backed independent organisation, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), has recently released a report warning investors to prepare for a major shift towards a plantbased food system. The report by the PRI, titled the Inevitable Policy Response, overviews a number of policies that should be put in place imminently to mitigate climate change.

more

Organisations and brands:

Aramark_logo
Gastronomy & Food Service

Global Food Service Provider Aramark to add Beyond Meat, Ocean Hugger, JUST Products

Global food service provider, Aramark, continues its commitment to plant-based, climate-healthy menus. Its plant-forward initiative has elevated the role of healthy ingredients on its menus in sports arenas and ballparks, colleges and universities, hospital cafés and workplace break rooms.

more

Group of demonstrators on road, young people fight for climate change - Global warming and enviroment concept - Focus on banner

© DisobeyArt

Society

UN Says Future is Bleak Unless We Change Food Production, Plantbased Diet is Our Opportunity

A leaked report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body responsible for assessing climate change, warns that urgent changes must be made to the way in which we approach agriculture and utilise land, suggesting veganism as a possible solution in terms of greenhouse gases, otherwise dire consequences will be seen imminently.

more

Organisations and brands:

Save the planet. Young kids holding signs standing near a refinery with gas masks

©The Stock Studio

Society

Vegan Meat Companies are Helping to Save the Planet

A recent article in the Independent discusses the rapidly increasing market for meat alternatives, citing the unprecedented success of Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat which led to vegan options taking over the mainstream, and says that this unstoppable movement “could kickstart a rapid decline in meat’s contribution to the climate crisis.”

more

Organisations and brands:

© IATP
Market & Trends

Big Meat & Dairy to Surpass Oil as Biggest Pollutors

The Institute for Agriculture Trade and Policy (IATP), together with non-profit farming organisation GRAIN, have released a significant study which analyses emissions from 35 of the world’s biggest meat and dairy companies, and asks how they are addressing these effects to avoid climate catastrophe. “The short answer: These companies are pursuing growth strategies that will actually increase their emission,” states IATP, in the report Big Meat and Dairy are Heating up our Planet.

more