• Go Climatarian

    Fight Climate Change
    With Diet Change 

    The Climatarian diet has the primary goal of fighting climate change, by considering the entire life-cycle of food and its greenhouse gas emissions.

    Did you know that a quarter of global emissions come from food?

    “Changing your diet may be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change.”
    – Thich Nhat Hanh – Global Spiritual Leader and Peace Activist.

Are you concerned about Climate Change?

Change your diet and become a Climatarian!

5 simple steps to become a Climatarian

1. Eat less red meat


We all want to do what’s best for the planet, and eating less red meat is a significant step in the right direction to become a climatarian. Whether you’re choosing a veggie option for lunch or eating plant-based for the day, you’re making a positive impact on the planet. Here’s why:

Did you know?

50% of all farmed animal emissions come from beef and lamb.

Beef, lamb and goat meat production is responsible for most of the methane emissions from livestock. Methane is roughly 28 times more potent than CO₂.

Beef production is the primary trigger of deforestation and land clearing in Australia. It is a key driver for greenhouse gas emissions.

Another greenhouse gas attributed to animal agriculture is nitrous oxide. Animal agriculture is responsible for the largest source of nitrous oxide on our planet.

What can you do?

Choose low-emission meats (poultry, pork, duck, kangaroo, fish).

Eat more plant-based foods.

2. Choose low emission foods


Determining whether food is low-carbon requires looking at both the resources used to produce it and the gases emitted in the process. Making informed decisions about your food choices and following a climatarian diet can positively impact your health and the environment. Here’s why:

Did you know?

Everything you eat has a carbon footprint. The climatarian diet focuses mainly on foods with low emissions.

Approximately 24% of greenhouse emissions are caused by agriculture and factory farming. This percentage is similar to the emissions caused by the worlds’ electricity generation.

Milk production has been estimated to contribute 3-4% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

Animal food products are one of the largest environmental hazards facing our earth, and it’s recommended you reduce your consumption of these foods.

What can you do?

Eat fewer dairy products, in particular cheese and butter.

Dairy

Eat less of the other animal products (meats, fish, seafood, and eggs).

Choose more plant-based foods.

Choose foods with low emissions.

3. Eat seasonal and local


Become a climatarian and eat seasonal and local food. Most of us give little thought to the effects of food kilometres, not only on the nutritional value of our food and the costs, but also the environmental impact, including fuel emissions. However, eating locally is only better if it’s seasonal. Here’s why:

Did you know?

Eating locally is only better if it’s seasonal! It’s better to purchase imported fruits and vegetables grown in season rather than buying local off-season.

Fruits and veggies grown in heated greenhouses produce 3 x as many carbon emissions as open-field production.

Avoid foods that are transported via air. Food transported by air releases around 50 times as much carbon dioxide as food transported by sea.

What can you do?

Choose seasonal and local. Usually, local food is the best only when it is seasonal.

Avoid heated greenhouse food.

Avoid air-freighted food.

4. Reduce food waste


We can all play a role in reducing food waste and making a difference. Doing your bit to reduce food waste will not only help you to save money, but help to save the planet too. Here’s why:

Did you know?

Eliminating global food waste would save more than 4 million tonnes of CO2 a year, which is the equivalent of taking one in four cars off the road.

When you throw your food into household garbage, it turns into methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

The Australian government estimates food waste costs the Australian economy $20 billion per year.

One third of the world’s food is wasted. Food waste accounts for more than 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.

Food scraps and yard waste together make up more than 30% of what we throw away in Australia.

Australian households throw away 2.5 million tonnes of edible food each year! That’s almost 300 kg per person.

What can you do?

Prevent food waste. Shop smarter, plan better and cook more.

Try to discard only unavoidable food into landfill. Recycle your food waste.

Do not choose food for aesthetic reasons. Choose for the nutritional value. Buy imperfect foods.

Store your food appropriately.

5. Avoid unnecessary
packaging


In a world where plastic is used excessively, avoiding it can be challenging. Some of the most common places we find plastic is wrapped around items we buy every day, like food. Eating a climate friendly diet means also considering the packaging our food come in. The effects of unnecessary packaging are damaging to our planet. Here’s why: 

Did you know?

Only 14% of plastic is recycled in Australia.

Less than 10% of plastic gets recycled globally.

Plastic packaging is sometimes needed to sustain food quality and safety, however, many products are unnecessarily packaged for consumers’ convenience.

Packaging preserves our food but also causes more waste than needed. Plastic packaging will languish in landfill for millennia, while slowly leaking harmful toxins into the soil.

What can you do?

Avoid products that are only packaged for customers convenience.

Stick to packaging that can be composted or recycled.

Choose products in bulk whenever possible and use reusable containers.

Bring your own containers, bottles or cups.

Is methane worse than carbon dioxide?

Yes, methane is a greenhouse gas about 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the Earth, on a 100-year timescale, and is more than 80 times more powerful over 20 years!

Is there such thing as Carbon Neutral beef?

Yes, however, there’s only one producer in Australia certified with carbon-neutral beef by the Australian Government Carbon Neutral Program.

What is carbon offsetting?

Carbon offsetting is when an activity prevents, reduces or removes greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere, compensating for emissions from elsewhere.

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