Over 130 Countries Pledge to Reduce "Carbon-Emitting Foods" at Climate Summit

More than 130 countries around the world have recognized the negative impact of the traditional meat-heavy diet on climate change and have pledged to make improvements.

A customer is checking the prices at the meat section of a large supermarket in Seoul. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

On the second day of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), over 130 countries signed a declaration addressing the impact of food on global warming.

The signatories include the United States, China, the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom, which have the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions. The total population of the signing countries is 5.7 billion. With this signing, these countries are required to include the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from food in their climate change response plans known as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Edward Davey of the World Resources Institute (WRI) stated, "This declaration sends a signal to countries that achieving the '1.5-degree target' requires transitioning food systems toward sustainability." The 1.5-degree target refers to the commitment made in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit the increase in Earth's surface temperature to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Greenhouse gases emitted during food processing and related activities account for one-third of global emissions. According to the environmental organization LEAP Project, a meat-heavy diet produces 10.24 kg of greenhouse gases per person per day. This is 2 to 4 times higher compared to 5.37 kg for those who consume less meat and 2.47 kg for vegetarians on average per day.

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