Diet & CO2 Emissions
Diet and CO2 emissions
Your Diet makes a lot of difference to your CO2 emissions. In GHG-Energy Calc, energy inputs and CO2e emissions are estimated for the production, manufacturing and transporting of each category of the foods/ groceries. Methane emissions from the digestive processes of ruminant animals contributes to the high CO2e emissions from red meat consumption.
A typical Australian consumes 570 - 700 kg of food, bought drinks and groceries per year. You can reduce the embodied emissions from the food you consume by eating:
- less red meat, less bottled drinks and packaged foods, and
- more fresh vegetable and grain based foods.
Three typical Australian diets (for one person) are compared in the table below:
Kg or L of foods / drinks groceries consumed each week, based on about 11 kg of food/ groceries per person plus bought drinks |
1. Vegetarian – fresh, local, minimised packaging; no bought drinks (make drinks at home); no meals out |
2. White meats (can include kangaroo), reduced dairy, local, fresh foods; includes some bottled non-alcoholic drinks; one meal out |
3. About 300 g of red meat or other meats per day; diet high in dairy, packaged and bottled foods and drinks (including alcohol); 2 meals out |
| L1 (kg or L / wk) – Fresh/minimally processed. Fresh fruit/veg, grains, flour, rolled oats | 5 |
2 |
0.5 |
| L2 (kg or L / wk) - Pasta, biscuits, rice, muesli, pulses, soy products, canned/bottled cool/juice drinks, cakes, breads | 1.5 |
3 |
2 |
| M1 (kg or L / wk) - Milks (dairy and soy) | 2 |
2 |
2 |
| M2 (kg or L / wk) - Processed containerised foods. Canned/bottled/frozen fruit/veg, dried fruits/nuts, sugar, beer, breakfast cereals, honey, soaps, papers, eggs, pastries | 1.5 |
2.5 |
2.5 |
| MH1 (kg or L / wk) - Chicken meat, chocolates, wine, jam, potato chips, cooking oil, margarine, tea/herbs, ground coffee, dairy – yoghurts, ice creams custards, restaurant meals | 0.4 |
2.5 |
3 |
| H1 (kg or L / wk) - Soup powders, instant coffee, spirits; pork, fish, detergents, soap, shampoo, disposable nappies | 0.5 |
1 |
1 |
| H2 (kg or L / wk) - Red meats (lamb and other ruminants), Dairy - cheese/butter/cream/milk powders | 0.3 |
0.3 |
1 |
| H3 (kg / wk) Beef | 0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| TOTAL kg or L per week of food and drink | 11.2 |
13.3 |
13.5 |
| TOTAL CO2e per year t CO2e/YEAR (from GHG-Energy Calc) |
1 |
2.1 |
3.9 |