How much would global emissions decrease if the world went plant-based?
Summary
Multiple peer-reviewed studies estimate that a global shift to plant-based diets could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 49-70%. Clark et al. (2020) found that food system emissions alone, if unchanged, could make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Evidence Summary
Several major studies have modeled what would happen to global emissions if humanity transitioned toward plant-based diets, and the findings consistently point to very large reductions. Clark et al. (2020), published in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.aba7357), examined cumulative emissions from the global food system and found that even if all fossil fuel emissions were eliminated immediately, food system emissions alone — on their current trajectory — would make it impossible to limit