You’ve probably seen the news—more people are leading the charge for plant-based eating to help the environment, from menu planners at climate conferences, to scientists, to students. You may have wondered, how much difference can my meals actually make?
Good news: the science is clear that what we eat is one of the most powerful climate choices we make every day. This blog post will break down the research and share how students can lead the way into a greener future.
With climate change accelerating and global emissions still rising, researchers are increasingly pointing to our food system as a major piece of the puzzle. And within that system, animal agriculture stands out as a key driver of environmental damage.
Research shows that shifting toward plant-based eating (even partially) can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and biodiversity loss.
Why food choices matter for the climate
Human activity emitted approximately 53 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2023. In Canada, emissions are especially high—nearly three times the global average per person [1].
Food plays a surprisingly large role in this. The global food system is responsible for 21–37% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and animal-based foods generate roughly twice the emissions of plant-based foods [2].
That means climate action isn’t just important when we think about our modes of transportation or energy use; it’s also about what’s on our plates.
Animal foods vs. plant foods: a big emissions gap
Producing animal-based foods is inherently resource-intensive. Animals must be fed, housed, and managed. Ruminant animals like cows and sheep also produce methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide.
To put this into perspective:
- 100 grams of protein from beef = 59 times more CO₂ equivalents than producing the same amount of protein from pulses (like lentils or beans) [3].
- Animal products provide less than 1/5 of global calories, yet account for more than 1/2 of food-related CO₂ equivalent emissions [4].
- In Canada, animal-based foods are the major contributors to food GHG emissions, contributing 67% of the impact. Globally, beef and dairy are the two biggest contributors within animal foods at 34% and 14-17% of the total respectively [5].
- Meat and dairy are projected to account for more than 60% of food-related warming by the year 2100 if consumption continues on current trends. We’re projected to add 1 degree of warming from food by 2100, with more than 60% of that coming from meat and dairy [6]!
But what do we mean when we say “CO₂ equivalent”? In this case, emissions are measured in Carbon Dioxide Equivalents. Since not every greenhouse gas emitted is CO₂ (e.g. methane from cows), researchers use equivalents to standardize how much warming each gas causes over a 100 year period. For example, over one century, methane has around 25 times the global warming of CO₂ per kilogram, 1 kg of methane equals 28 kg of CO₂.
While improvements in farming practices can reduce some emissions, most emissions from animal agriculture are unavoidable, and are built into the system itself [5]. For instance, high land use and the inefficiency of feeding animals 2/3 of global crops are intrinsic to a farming system that is keeping up with high demand for animal products.
The takeaway: plant-based diets use fewer resources
Despite common misconceptions, plant-based diets consistently come out ahead environmentally.
Research shows that plant-based diets are associated with:
- Lower greenhouse gas emissions
- Reduced land use
- Less biodiversity loss
In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that a global shift to a vegan diet could reduce food-related emissions by nearly two-thirds—equivalent to about 15% of all global emissions [2].
Even smaller shifts matter. In Canada, simply moving protein intake from a 65:35 animal-to-plant ratio to 50:50 could reduce diet-related greenhouse gas emissions by 18–27% [2].
This change is already happening
There’s good news: dietary shifts are already underway.
In the United States, food-related greenhouse gas emissions dropped 35% between 2003 and 2018, with more than half of that reduction coming from decreased beef consumption [7].
In Canada, red meat intake declined from 53.5 g/day in 2004 [8] to 41.4 g/day in 2015 [9].
These trends show that change doesn’t require perfection, it happens through gradual, collective shifts.
What this looks like for you
You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet to have an impact—small changes can add up to make a big difference!
Research focused on British Columbia shows that reducing beef consumption has the single biggest climate impact. In fact:
- Cutting beef intake by just 25% has the same emissions benefit as eliminating all chicken and pork [10].
- Replacing beef with lentils could save more than 1,000 kg of CO₂ equivalents per year for the average Lower Mainland resident [10].
- Swapping beef for plant-based meals once a week for a year can cut emissions comparable to 560 kilometres of driving[10] . That’s the same as a road trip from Vancouver to Portland!
- The impacts are most significant when swapping animal-based foods for whole food options like lentils, rather than processed items like plant-based cheeses.
Why pulses are a climate win
Pulses (lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas) are one of the most climate-friendly foods available.
They:
- Emit dramatically fewer greenhouse gases than beef [3]
- Use far less land [11] and water [12]
- Draw nitrogen from the air naturally, rather than relying on emissions-producing fertilizers and improving soil health [13]
- Are affordable, filling, and nutrient-dense
They’re also incredibly versatile! From lentil Bolognese and bean tacos to curries, soups, and chili, pulses make up an important part of delicious, filling, and protein-rich meals.
In summary
The environmental impact of our food system is massive, but so is the opportunity for change.
Plant-based eating isn’t about being perfect, and it’s not about judgement. It’s about recognizing that every meal is a chance to reduce emissions, protect ecosystems, and support a more sustainable future.
Small, intentional swaps (especially replacing beef with plant-based foods) can have big benefits for the planet.
As researchers put it plainly: our food choices are one of the most accessible and effective climate actions available to us today.
Tight budget, busy schedule, or eating at a dining hall? Check out PlantUniversity.ca or our Instagram below for recipes, resources, and tools to help you get started!
References
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, & International Energy Agency. (2024). GHG emissions of all world countries. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/4002897
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2022). Climate change and land: An IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157988
- Environmental Impacts of Food Data Explorer. (n.d.). Our World in Data. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://ourworldindata.org/explorers/food-footprints?country=Beef+%28beef+herd%29~Tofu+%28soybeans%29~Other+Pulses&hideControls=false&Commodity+or+Specific+Food+Product=Commodity&Environmental+Impact=Carbon+footprint&Kilogram+%2F+Protein+%2F+Calories=Per+100+grams+of+protein&By+stage+of+supply+chain=false
- Technology Networks. (2024, December 17). Animal products use more energy than they deliver. https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/animal-products-use-more-energy-than-they-deliver-394386
- Ivanovich, C. C., Sun, T., Gordon, D. R., & Ocko, I. B. (2023). Future warming from global food consumption. Nature Climate Change, 13(3), 297–302. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01605-8
- Topcu, B., Kirkpatrick, S. I., Wood, M. O., & Dias, G. M. (2025). Life cycle climate impacts of eating patterns of Canadian provinces: Focus on meat and protein intake. Journal of Cleaner Production, 525, 146520. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.146520
- Bassi, C., Maysels, R., & Anex, R. (2022). Declining greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. diet (2003–2018): Drivers and demographic trends. Journal of Cleaner Production, 351, 131465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131465
- Statistics Canada. (2004). Canadian Community Health Survey. Government of Canada.
- Statistics Canada. (2015). Canadian Community Health Survey. Government of Canada.
- Watson, K. (2023). A transition towards plant-based diets: A study amongst B.C. residents in the Lower Mainland. Vancouver Humane Society. https://plantuniversity.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Final-VHS-Report-Plant-Based-Diets-.pdf
- Land use per kilogram of food product. (n.d.). Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/land-use-per-kg-poore
- Water Footprint Calculator. (2017). Water Footprint of Food Guide. Water Footprint Calculator. https://watercalculator.org/water-footprint-of-food-guide/
- Pulses & Sustainable Food – Pulses. (n.d.). Pulses.org. https://pulses.org/future-of-food/pulses-sustainable-food