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Environmental Impact of the Average Hong Kong Diet: A Case for Adopting Sustainable Diets in Urban Centers

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  • Tsz Wing Tang

    (School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Tanja Sobko

    (School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

As global population growth continues, the rapidly increasing demand for food and the environmental impact of this demand is a growing concern. Most food in Hong Kong is imported, which has implications for the associated environmental footprint. The carbon and water footprints (CF and WF) of the average Hong Kong diet were estimated from available sources and compared to well-accepted sustainable diets to characterize environmental sustainability. The total CF was 5701.90 g CO 2 -eq per capita/day, and the WF was 4782.31 L per capita/day. While meat products contributed only 22% to the weight, they were responsible for 57% and 53% of the total CF and WF, respectively. The impacts of the Hong Kong diet were greater than those of well-accepted sustainable diets, possibly due to the heavy consumption of meat and the import of foods. This confirms an urgency to increase environmental awareness among Hong Kong’s consumers and make interventions toward the adoption of sustainable, plant-based diets.

Suggested Citation

  • Tsz Wing Tang & Tanja Sobko, 2019. "Environmental Impact of the Average Hong Kong Diet: A Case for Adopting Sustainable Diets in Urban Centers," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jchals:v:10:y:2019:i:2:p:5-:d:294908
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    References listed on IDEAS

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