Expansion of Plant-Based Meat and Its Impacts on Climate and Food Security

Abstract

healy-thow, and eva wollenberg Highlights• To meet climate targets, a shift to low-emission diets that also support health and sustainability is necessary. • A high-impact target is to reduce red meat consumption by 50 percent by 2030 in high-and middle-income countries based on the 2019 EAT-Lancet diet. • Actions to reduce animal-based meat consumption (Table 9.1) could reduce dietary emissions by 3-8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. • Scaling up plant-based meat (PBM) will require viable products, low costs, effective public policy to catalyse change, and strong markets. • The priority actions are to facilitate consumer behavioural change for large segments of populations, promote policy targets and actions for reduced-meat diets in high-and middle-income countries, use public-private finance to improve alternative meat product nutrition and sustainability, and enhance affordable technology and business options.