A plant-based diet can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from our food systems. With simple changes, Americans can bring their dietary carbon footprints closer to global levels. The result would be better health at home and greater access to food for the approximately 800 million people who live without reliable food supplies.

A recent study, Reducing Climate Change Impacts from the Global Food System through Diet Shifts, highlights how an American diet dominated by animal products, especially red meat and dairy, can generate more than twice the emissions per calorie compared to diets in many other countries. Americans can dramatically reduce their dietary GHG emissions by reducing red meat and dairy and increasing plant-based proteins, such as legumes, nuts, and grains.

The Environmental Cost of Animal-Based Diets

Animal-based foods, particularly red meat, have the highest GHG footprint per calorie. While accounting for only about 5% of calories in global diets, red meat alone contributes nearly 29% of global food-related emissions.

In high-income countries like the United States, animal products can comprise up to 71% of dietary emissions. This contrasts sharply with regions that rely on plant-based staples; for instance, in Indonesia, plant-based foods like rice contribute to 83% of calories yet keep emissions comparatively low.

The EAT-Lancet planetary health diet provides a science-backed approach to addressing dietary health and environmental sustainability. EAT-Lancet promotes a balanced combination of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes while minimizing red meat and added sugars.

A fundamental goal of the EAT-Lancet diet is to shift protein sources from high-emission foods like beef to plant-based proteins such as legumes and nuts and modest amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy. This change is designed to support the global dietary needs of a growing population while staying within the ecological limits of our planet.

Adopting the EAT-Lancet diet on a global scale could decrease global food-related emissions by 17% overall. Americans need to substantially reduce red meat and dairy consumption in favor of plant-based foods, which, according to the study, would bring U.S. dietary emissions closer to those of lower-emission countries and help achieve climate and public health benefits.

Quantitative Impact of a Dietary Shift

The study highlights stark differences in the carbon footprint of diets across the globe. In the U.S., where red meat and dairy dominate the diet, dietary emissions are among the world’s highest, with animal products comprising about 71% of total dietary GHG emissions. By comparison, countries in the European Union—although also heavily reliant on animal products—tend to have lower nutritional emissions due to slightly more balanced diets and a broader use of plant-based options.

In South America, where beef production is a major industry, dietary emissions vary. Brazil, for instance, ranks among the top emitters due to high red meat consumption. Because South American diets often include larger portions of legumes and grains than in the United States, the continent has only a moderate overall dietary carbon footprint.

By contrast, plant-based staples dominate diets in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in significantly lower dietary emissions. In Southeast Asia, for example, rice and other grains account for much of the caloric intake, with animal products playing a minor role. The Southeast Asian diet structure keeps emissions low. However, certain regions, like Indonesia, still see relatively high emissions from rice production due to methane release in flooded paddies.

Sub-Saharan Africa’s dietary emissions are likewise lower because meals are dominated by plant-based foods like grains, tubers, legumes, and nuts, which account for over half of their food-related emissions. However, low-income constraints often limit dietary diversity, leading to high consumption of starchy staples rather than nutrient-dense foods. While this diet has a low carbon footprint, it also highlights disparities in food access and nutritional diversity.

In adopting the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, Americans could see a reduction of up to 70% in their dietary emissions. Shifting to a diet rich in plant-based proteins, fruits, and vegetables—and significantly reducing red meat and dairy—could cut emissions in the U.S. by over 1.9 gigatons of CO₂ annually.

The combined dietary changes across the U.S., China, and Brazil, the three highest emitters, could drive over half of the potential global dietary emission reductions anticipated by the research. That meaty fact underscores the profound impact a plant-forward diet could have on climate change.

A New Path Forward for Americans

Adopting a plant-based diet will benefit the planet and public health. Research demonstrates that the health improvements also produce reduced emissions, creating a win-win scenario for Americans. While a transition to more plant-based foods requires individual and community-level change, it also needs support from food producers and policymakers to make these options accessible and affordable.

Americans can reshape diets that promote sustainability, improve health, and contribute to global climate solutions. The benefits are clear: lower emissions, healthier lives, and a step toward a more sustainable future.