Volume 19: Sustainable Energy Solutions for a Post-COVID Recovery towards a Better Future: Part II

Diet optimization promotes global greenhouse gas emission Mingrui zhang1, Jing-Chun Feng, Liwei Sun1, Yanyan Huang, Si Zhang, Zhifeng Yang

Abstract

Achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C or 2°C above pre-industrial levels requires global greenhouse gas emission reductions. Currently, most of the global greenhouse gas emission reductions are focused on the energy sector, such as reducing fossil fuel combustion, improving utilization efficiency, and using clean energy. However, studies have shown that decarbonization in the energy sector alone may not be sufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Because the global food system accounts for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, reducing emissions from the global food system is also key to reaching this goal. By dividing the world into two camps according to economic levels and using population projection data, individual diet structure data, and food carbon footprint data in each segment, this paper projects human GHG emissions from 2020-2060 due to the consumption of major foods such as grains, meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and aquatic food groups. The LMDI analysis of GHG emissions due to food production in different regions was also conducted to analyse the magnitude of the driving forces of three factors: population, food structure, and carbon footprint on emissions.

Keywords Global food system, future emissions projections, Greenhouse gas emissions, diet structure, carbon footprint, LMDI analysis