As governments meet at COP 30 in Brazil, Anna Clayton shares findings from the recent Climate Gap Report with a focus on food.
Each year Ethical Consumer Magazine produces a Climate Gap report which seeks to answer the question: “How close is the UK to meeting its climate targets?”
It does this by tracking data across four impact areas that together account for about 75 per cent of UK consumer emissions: Food, Heating, Transport, and Consumer Goods.
The report simplifies complex data to track the UK’s progress towards 2030 climate targets in each area.
It also identifies key actions we need to take, placing consumer action alongside essential actions for governments and companies.
Food accounts for around 26 per cent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Changing our diets can play a huge role in reducing these emissions.
Reducing food waste can also lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The Climate Gap Report tracks the UK’s progress in reducing the climate impact of our food system by collecting data around meat and dairy consumption and food waste.
The recent report’s findings are mixed.
Estimates of dairy consumption from 2023 suggest a continued reduction in dairy consumption of around six per cent from 2022 to 2023. Hurray!
Unfortunately, figures for meat consumption and food waste are less positive.
OECD data for UK meat consumption shows just over a one per cent increase in meat consumption per person per week from 2023 to 2024.
The July 2025 UK Food Waste and Food Surplus – Key Facts report by WRAP estimated total food waste in the UK (not including farm waste) to be around five per cent lower compared to 2021 but higher than in 2018.
The 2024 CCC Progress Report states “Emissions in the agriculture, land use and waste sectors have shown very little progress over recent years. These sectors need to be delivering meaningful falls in emissions each year by 2030…”
Alongside government action, individuals can also play a role in meeting UK climate targets.
- Eat more plant-based meals. Visit foodfutures.org.uk/directory for more on this.
- Learn more plant-based and sustainable cookery skills. Visit foodfutures.org.uk/cooking.
- Reduce your food waste and compost any that you can’t reduce: foodfutures.org.uk/composting
- Join North Lancashire’s gleaning network to help harvest seasonal surpluses and distribute them locally: foodfutures.org.uk/share-the-harvest
A more in depth Climate and Food article can be found in the winter edition of THRIVE Magazine or you can read the Climate Gap report in full at: ethicalconsumer.org/climate-gap-report
