Understanding Your Results

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Scientists predict that more than one-third of the Earth’s animal and plant species will be extinct by 2050 if current greenhouse gas emissions trajectories continue. That would cause irreversible consequences for biodiversity, ecosystems and human societies around the world. That’s why every meal counts.

The Planetary Foodprint Calculator weighs the greenhouse gas emissions per serving of a meal in kg CO2eq. and lbs CO2eq. and provides an overall climate score.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of food.

A green climate score means one serving of the meal falls within the range of emissions that, if everyone followed a similar diet, would make it possible to meet crucial climate targets.

A yellow score means a meal is within the business-as-usual scenario driving to the 2 degrees Celsius global temperature increase by 2050 that is widely considered an irreversible climate tipping point.

An orange score means a serving of your meal has a climate impact that if everyone followed a similar diet, would accelerate the global average temperature increase to 2ºC or above.

A red or dark red score is a warning that the meal has over 5x the target emissions in one serving. If eaten occasionally as part of a predominantly plant-based diet, this high-emissions meal would have a moderate impact, but if eaten several times a week, it would rapidly exceed climate limits.

Food systems produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Each gas is increasing the Earth’s global average temperature, damaging natural ecosystems, disrupting weather patterns, and causing sea levels to rise as glaciers and ice sheets melt.

Methane remains in the atmosphere for around 12 years, compared to hundreds of years in the case of carbon dioxide. Although it’s not around for long, it’s a more potent greenhouse gas, accelerating the effects of climate change. Reducing methane emissions in the short term is the most effective way to meet crucial climate targets.

Most methane emissions come from beef and dairy, so a plant-based substitution is the most effective way to lower your meal's climate impact. Read more here.

Land Impact

The Planetary Foodprint Calculator reports the land required to produce your meal and how much each ingredient contributes to this demand for land. Choosing meals that require less land to produce can protect remaining wild places, free up land to restore habitats for declining species, and draw down atmospheric greenhouse gases to meet climate and biodiversity targets.

Agriculture drives the global conversion of natural and habitable land. The more land it takes to produce a meal, the greater the effect on biodiversity loss, soil degradation, habitat destruction, and water pollution. If today’s consumption patterns continue, agricultural land will increase by 1.2 billion acres — twice the size of India — to feed a growing human population.

Land conversion on this scale will drastically accelerate climate and biodiversity crises. By clearing forests and grasslands and draining peatlands, agricultural expansion releases stored greenhouse gases while undermining the ability of the environment to sequester carbon dioxide emissions, doubling down on its climate cost.

Shifting to plant-based diets and swapping out foods like beef, with the heaviest land use, for more efficient foods like beans can help reduce foodprints.

Water Impact

The Planetary Foodprint Calculator estimates how much freshwater is needed to produce a meal. Protecting water resources is important to conserving water for human communities and wildlife, especially vulnerable aquatic ecosystems.

Food production can drastically deplete ground and surface water sources. Agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, cause widespread pollution as the water used on fields, pastures, and other systems, including rainwater, is carried into rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. High concentrations of nutrients, pesticides, and eroded soils in water disrupt sensitive aquatic ecosystems and severely harm biodiversity.

Water is heavily used to irrigate crops, although the demand can differ widely between crop varieties. In the case of animal products, a significant amount of water is needed to grow livestock feed and is used in processing animals into meat, in addition to the water directly consumed by the animals. The mismanagement of livestock waste is also a major source of water pollution.

Including more plant-based meals and less of the most water-intensive foods can dramatically reduce overall foodprints.

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Climate Impact: Very High

If a meal like this is eaten every day or even several times a week, your planetary foodprint is too high, and higher than can be sustained by the planet.

Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 16.5% of human-induced global greenhouse gas emissions, and the leading food sources are beef, lamb, prawns, and dairy. In the United States, cattle emit about 5.5 million metric tons of methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide (over a 20 year period), accounting for 36% of the United States’ human-induced methane emissions.

Adding to the emissions from farmed animals’ feeding, digestion and transportation, the amount of land used for feed crops and grazing multiplies the carbon hoofprint of meat consumption. The best way to lower your foodprint is to include more plant-based foods in your meals and less meat and dairy.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of your meal.

Climate Impact: High

If a meal like this is eaten every day or even several times a week, your planetary foodprint is too high — higher than can be sustained by the planet.

Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 16.5% of human-induced global greenhouse gas emissions, and the leading food sources are beef, lamb, prawns, and dairy. In the United States, cattle emit about 5.5 million metric tons of methane, a greenhouse gas 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide (over a 20-year period), accounting for 36% of the United States’ human-induced methane emissions. The best way to lower your foodprint is to include more plant-based foods in your meals and less meat and dairy.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of your meal.

Climate Impact: Moderate

Our data is only calculating this meal on its own. If you eat this meal every day, your foodprint is much higher than it should be.

Studies show we cannot meet global climate targets without shifting toward climate-friendly diets. Food production accounts for as much as 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with meat and dairy production responsible for more than half of these emissions. Plant-based diets or diets rich in primarily plant-based foods and lower in animal products have lower climate impacts across the board for each meal.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of your meal.

Climate Impact: Fair

Our data is only calculating this meal on its own. If you eat this meal every day, your foodprint is much higher than it should be.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of your meal.

Climate Impact: Low

Even if you eat this meal every day for a year, your foodprint is lower than most.

Climate-friendly foods are responsible for fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show we cannot meet global climate targets without shifting toward climate-friendly diets. Food production accounts for as much as 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with meat and dairy production responsible for more than half of these emissions. Plant-based diets or diets rich in primarily plant-based foods and lower in animal products have lower climate impacts across the board for each meal.

Learn more about the Global Warming Potential of your meal.

Land Impact: High

This meal reflects a high use of land in production, which can include converting grasslands and forests to pasture. This is a key source of global warming and loss of carbon sinks (which draw down carbon from the atmosphere) that is often under accounted. Land conversion is also a leading source of habitat loss and species endangerments. Try eating more plants and less beef and dairy.

Land Impact: Moderate

This meal reflects a moderate use of land in production. Using less land can help optimize your planetary foodprint by leaving more habitat for wildlife and better protecting biodiversity, the climate, and clean water. Try eating more plants and less meat, chicken, seafood and dairy.

Land Impact: Low

This meal reflects a lower use of land in production. Using less land also carries a lower climate foodprint, as converting grasslands and forests (which draw down carbon from the atmosphere) to pasture is a key source of global warming that is often under accounted. By eating meals like this, you’re helping avoid habitat loss and species endangerments. Keep eating primarily plant-based meals.

Water Impact: High

This meal reflects a high use of water in production. Although many people think of foods like almonds, rice, and grapes as water-intensive foods, cattle products like beef and dairy lead agricultural uses of water. Irrigating cattle pastures and growing crops like alfalfa use the most agricultural water. In dry western states where rivers are running dry, agriculture uses up to 80% of all consumed water, and about half of that comes from animal agriculture, primarily from dairy. By drinking less cow’s milk and eating less cheese, for example, we can fundamentally shift toward foods with a lower water impact.

Water Impact: Moderate

This meal reflects a moderate use of water in production. Water is a scarce resource on an ever-warming planet. To build resilience to climate change, drought, and other environmental impacts, we need to grow food that uses less water. Shifting your meals toward mostly plant-based foods and eating less meat and dairy can help you lower your water foodprint.

Water Impact: Low

This meal reflects a low use of water in production. As farmers adapt to the effects of a warming planet, it’s important to support water-smart agriculture and to produce and consume less water-intensive foods. Plant-based foods often have a lower water footprint than most animal products, so eating meals like this that use less water can help protect our limited resources.

How to Improve Your Score: Reduce Meat and Dairy

Cutting half of the meat and dairy from just one person’s diet can save as much as:

511,000 gallons of water.
More than 6,000 square feet of land.
Greenhouse gas equivalent of driving 4,000 fewer miles per year.

Swapping a veggie burger for a beef burger can save:

90-95% more water, land, and greenhouse gases.

Compared to plant proteins such as beans, peas and lentils, beef requires:

Six times more water.
20 times more land.
Emits 20 times more greenhouse gas emissions per gram of edible protein.

To keep meals within planetary limits, people in the Global North should aim to:

Cut meat and dairy products by about 50% of the average diet.
Consume 90% less beef products.