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Reducing climate change impacts from the global food system through diet shifts

Author

Listed:
  • Yanxian Li

    (University of Groningen)

  • Pan He

    (Cardiff University
    Tsinghua University)

  • Yuli Shan

    (University of Birmingham)

  • Yu Li

    (Chongqing Technology and Business University)

  • Ye Hang

    (University of Birmingham)

  • Shuai Shao

    (East China University of Science and Technology)

  • Franco Ruzzenenti

    (University of Groningen)

  • Klaus Hubacek

    (University of Groningen)

Abstract

How much and what we eat and where it is produced can create huge differences in GHG emissions. On the basis of detailed household-expenditure data, we evaluate the unequal distribution of dietary emissions from 140 food products in 139 countries or areas and further model changes in emissions of global diet shifts. Within countries, consumer groups with higher expenditures generally cause more dietary emissions due to higher red meat and dairy intake. Such inequality is more pronounced in low-income countries. The present global annual dietary emissions would fall by 17% with the worldwide adoption of the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, primarily attributed to shifts from red meat to legumes and nuts as principal protein sources. More than half (56.9%) of the global population, which is presently overconsuming, would save 32.4% of global emissions through diet shifts, offsetting the 15.4% increase in global emissions from presently underconsuming populations moving towards healthier diets.

Suggested Citation

  • Yanxian Li & Pan He & Yuli Shan & Yu Li & Ye Hang & Shuai Shao & Franco Ruzzenenti & Klaus Hubacek, 2024. "Reducing climate change impacts from the global food system through diet shifts," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 14(9), pages 943-953, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:14:y:2024:i:9:d:10.1038_s41558-024-02084-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-024-02084-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kastner, Thomas & Kastner, Michael & Nonhebel, Sanderine, 2011. "Tracing distant environmental impacts of agricultural products from a consumer perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 1032-1040, April.
    2. Dominik Wiedenhofer & Dabo Guan & Zhu Liu & Jing Meng & Ning Zhang & Yi-Ming Wei, 2017. "Unequal household carbon footprints in China," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 75-80, January.
    3. Yuli Shan & Jiamin Ou & Daoping Wang & Zhao Zeng & Shaohui Zhang & Dabo Guan & Klaus Hubacek, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 and fiscal stimuli on global emissions and the Paris Agreement," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(3), pages 200-206, March.
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    5. Orlando Corigliano & Pietropaolo Morrone & Angelo Algieri, 2025. "Navigating the Challenges of Sustainability in the Food Processing Chain: Insights into Energy Interventions to Reduce Footprint," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-40, January.
    6. Katarzyna Mazur-Włodarczyk & Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska, 2024. "Sustainable Consumption and Production of Edible Plants in the Context of Reaching the EU Climate Neutrality by 2050: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-35, December.

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