A study in Nature Climate Change found that plant-based diets could reduce global dietary emissions by 17% compared to 2019 levels. Stacy Blondin from the World Resources Institute stated that food systems are responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Emma Garnett, a postdoctoral researcher who studies behavior change and sustainable diets at the University of Oxford, noted that excessive meat eating is not only an American tradition but is common in many global celebratory meals. “Meat is really intimately tied with a lot of traditions and festivities,” says Garnett.