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Compare the annual carbon footprint of vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivore diets. See how much CO2 you could save by changing what you eat.
A vegan diet produces approximately 1,050 kg CO2e per year, compared to 1,400 kg for vegetarian, 1,700 kg for low-meat, 2,050 kg for average, and 2,600 kg for meat-heavy diets. Going vegan saves roughly 1,000 kg CO2e per year compared to an average diet — equivalent to not driving for 6,000 km.
1,200
kg CO2e/year
3.29 kg CO2/day
1,600
kg CO2e/year
4.38 kg CO2/day
2,400
kg CO2e/year
6.58 kg CO2/day
3,100
kg CO2e/year
8.49 kg CO2/day
Switching from an average diet to a vegan diet saves approximately 1,000–1,200 kg CO2e per year — roughly 15–20% of the average person's total annual carbon footprint. This is equivalent to not driving a petrol car for 6,000 km, or one fewer return short-haul flight per year. Food choices are one of the most impactful individual climate actions available.
You don't have to go fully vegan to make a significant difference. Simply reducing meat consumption to 2–3 days per week (a 'flexitarian' approach) can save 400–600 kg CO2e per year compared to an average diet. Replacing beef specifically with chicken, fish, or plant proteins has the biggest impact — since beef produces 4–30x more emissions than other protein sources.
A badly planned vegan diet heavy in processed meat substitutes, avocados, and air-freighted out-of-season produce can have a higher footprint than a carefully planned omnivore diet rich in local, seasonal vegetables with minimal beef. Similarly, a grass-fed, locally sourced omnivore diet performs better than one relying on intensively farmed beef. The biggest single lever is reducing beef and lamb — the two most carbon-intensive foods — rather than achieving a perfect label. Seasonal, local, and minimally processed choices matter regardless of diet type.
Emission factors for the same food can vary 5–10x depending on where and how it is produced. Brazilian beef from deforested land carries far higher emissions than Irish pasture-fed beef. Palm-oil-based products can have significant deforestation footprints. Conversely, some animal farming in low-input pastoral systems can sequester carbon in soil — though the net effect is still positive (warming) at scale. When choosing foods, origin and production method matter almost as much as the category of food itself.
Covers practical follow-up questions readers often ask
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