Urge the Government to prioritise carbon footprints on menus over calories

Urge the Government to prioritise carbon footprints on menus over calories

Started
21 July 2022
Signatures: 8,753Next Goal: 10,000
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Why this petition matters

The climate and wildlife extinction crises are getting worse and will continue to do so unless the government steps in. Join Viva! in the call to make carbon footprints on menus mandatory.  

With record-breaking temperatures seen across the UK last week, it’s never been clearer that we need to act now to prevent a global and ecological crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before. 

The urgency to act, coupled with a controversial debate arising in the hospitality sector, suggests displaying carbon calculations on menus is significantly more important to the health of the UK and the planet than calories at this pivotal moment in time.

Meat, dairy, fish and eggs have a considerably higher negative impact on the planet than vegan alternatives and we need more awareness of the link between our food choices and the environment.  

Given that eating just one beef burger can generate as much as 3.05kg CO2 per serving – that’s the equivalent of driving the average UK petrol car for over 10 miles – compared to just 0.3kg CO2e from its vegan alternative*, we need carbon labelling information clearly available in restaurants through menus. As seen with calories becoming mandatory on menus the government can implement industry-wide rules to inform people about their eating habits. 

The UK’s diet of meat, fish, dairy and eggs requires a land area equivalent to the size of 61.5 million football pitches which could be reduced by 74 per cent if the population chooses a vegan lifestyle, research by Viva! suggests**. Due to large-scale animal farming and over consumption in the UK, this land use is resulting in the rapid decline of wildlife worldwide, including Jaguars, Sloths, Toucans, and Bumblebees.

Looking at popular meat-based dishes in the UK and the difference in carbon footprint their vegan counterparts have, it’s clear to see why switching to a vegan diet is described as ‘The single biggest way to reduce your impact,’ by Joseph Poore, a climate researcher at the University of Oxford. 

If everyone was to go vegan, it’s predicted we could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by two-thirds and still provide enough food for everyone on the planet. 

The urgency of the climate and wildlife extinction crises is growing, and the government needs to step in and make carbon footprints on menus mandatory.  

Discover how a vegan diet is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on the planet at vegannow.uk

Notes 

*Calculations are an estimate based on the average patty containing 125g of UK beef collected within 150 miles of production using plate up for the planet calculator.

**Calculations are based on a comparison data of different countries dietary impacts, downloaded from WWF Plant-Based Diets. This is equated to the football pitch size using the FIFA regulations with one hectare comprising between 1.2 and 1.6 football pitches, using the 1.6 pitches in a hectare measurement. 

 

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Signatures: 8,753Next Goal: 10,000
Support now
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