UK Will Miss 2050 Emissions Target Unless It Implements Vegan Policies, Report Says

The United Kingdom will miss its target for cutting carbon emissions to “net zero” by 2050 if it does not implement a series of behavioral changes, according to the first assessment of the goal conducted by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC)—an influential advisory committee to the UK government. The Committee’s report outlines a number of changes that need to occur for the UK to hit the ambitious target it set in June, including incentivizing the use of clean energy, discouraging frequent flying, and shifting toward a more plant-based diet nationwide. The CCC officially recommended that the UK reduce meat and dairy consumption by 20 percent and cut government subsidies to animal agriculture. The report also advises that food be labeled with carbon impact statements—on packaging, websites, and receipts—to help customers identify products that are environmentally damaging. The Committee urged that the UK government implement at least one vegan food option in public sector cafeterias per day, fund training for chefs in plant-based cooking, and invest in the development of meat and dairy alternatives to promote what it calls a “new protein economy.”