The Dietary Carbon Footprint of Portuguese Adults: Defining and Assessing Mitigation Scenarios for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Cristóvão Fraga Andrade Pereira da Rocha, Catarina de Sousa Tavares Pinho da Silva, Rafaela Martins da Silva, Manuel Joaquim da Silva Oliveira and Belmira de Almeida Ferreira Neto ()
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Cristóvão Fraga Andrade Pereira da Rocha: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Catarina de Sousa Tavares Pinho da Silva: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Rafaela Martins da Silva: Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Manuel Joaquim da Silva Oliveira: DEMM—Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Belmira de Almeida Ferreira Neto: LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-22

Abstract: The food chain is a large contributor to environmental pollution, especially greenhouse gas emissions, strongly associated with the consumption of animal-based proteins. The understanding of the negative environmental impacts of dietary habits by the population is of the utmost importance to provide the means to effect change to more sustainable eating patterns. The main purpose of this study was to assess the carbon footprint of animal protein consumption in Portugal, while also evaluating six mitigation scenarios aiming to lower greenhouse gas emissions through strategic changes to the animal protein consumption of current dietary habits. Overall, the carbon footprint associated with animal protein consumption is 2.63 kg CO 2 eq/(cap⋅day) nationally and 28.4 t CO 2 eq/month for the faculty canteen. Meat is by far the largest contributor to the carbon footprint in both cases, with beef being its “hotspot”. All scenarios showed significant reduction potentials, with values ranging from 16% (lower value for both the national case and the faculty canteen) to 71% (faculty canteen). In sum, substantial carbon footprint reductions can be attained if policymakers support the implementation of effective measures to promote a shift in the current animal protein consumption towards more sustainable eating habits.

Keywords: food; animal protein; sustainable consumption; human diet; faculty canteen; sustainability; carbon footprint; mitigation scenarios (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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