A study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Nature Food analyses the ecological “footprint” from diets – and policy options to counteract through price signals. EU-wide, 23 percent of greenhouse gas emissions generated directly and indirectly by private households arise in this sector.
- Diets account for 23% of EU household greenhouse gas emissions and up to 71% of other environmental impacts.
- Applying the full value added tax (VAT) to meat could reduce environmental impacts from diets by 3–6%.
- The average annual net cost to each EU household would be 26 euros.
- Meat consumption makes up 28% of the food sector’s greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.
- The policy could generate additional tax revenue, potentially used for social compensation.
Source: pik-potsdam.de
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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