Introduction

In a world characterized by rising temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and melting ice caps, climate change poses a global challenge.
Our behavior and how we use our resources impact the environment, highlighting the need to implement sustainable solutions and individual responsibility.

We aim to shed light on how individual choices, such as dietary habits and modes of transportation, affect overall CO2 emissions.
On this page, we examine two different lifestyle scenarios: a dedicated vegan who drives a fuel-car, and a meat-eater who has chosen an environmentally friendly electric car.
We aim to answer the question: which of the two individuals emits more CO2 based on their lifestyle choices?

Take a guess, explore our visualizations, and reflect on how your own choices can impact our planet.

Guess Who Leaves The Bigger CO2 Footprint...

Development of vegetarians in Denmark

The Carbon Cost of Food: Vegetarian VS Standard Diet

CO2 EMISSIONS PR KG

522

The value represents the total carbon dioxide emissions per kg for the ingredients included in a full day's vegetarian diet.

CO2 EMISSIONS PR KG

1056

The value represents the total carbon dioxide emissions per kg for the ingredients included in a full day's standard diet.

x

Agriculture

Agriculture significantly impacts our carbon dioxide emissions. It contributes to CO2 emissions in various ways, including the use of fossil fuels in farm machinery, and the production and use of fertilizers that can release carbon dioxide. Moreover, livestock farming, particularly of cows and sheep, is a major source of methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that is even more potent than CO2 in trapping heat in the atmosphere. This highlights the environmental challenges associated with traditional farming practices.

ILUC

ILUC, or "Indirect Land Use Change," is a term in climate and environmental science. It's about how making food affects land, like farms and forests. When we grow food, we often need land for crops or raising animals. Expanding farms can change how land is used, like cutting down forests or turning natural areas into farms. ILUC affects CO2 emissions because when land, like forests, is changed to farms, it can release stored carbon into the atmosphere. Trees and plants absorb CO2, but when they're removed, this CO2 is released.

Food Processing

Food processing is about turning raw ingredients into finished products. This process can include cleaning, cutting, cooking, freezing, and packaging. It often requires a lot of energy, mainly from electricity or fossil fuels, and can also involve a lot of water. Both energy use and water treatment can lead to CO2 emissions.

Packaging

Packaging involves wrapping and protecting food for transport, storage, and sale. This process often uses materials like plastic, paper, and metal, which require energy and resources to produce. The production of these materials can lead to CO2 emissions, especially if they're made from non-renewable resources or involve energy-intensive processes. Additionally, disposing of packaging, especially non-recclable materials in landfills can lead to further emissions.

Transport

Transport in the context of food CO2 emissions refers to moving food from where it's grown or made to where it's sold. This can involve trucks, ships, and planes, most of which use fossil fuels. Burning these fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere. The longer the distance food travels, the higher its transport-related emissions.

Retail

Retail, in terms of CO2 emissions, involves the selling of food in stores or markets. This stage consumes energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and refrigeration. It also involves additional transportation for restocking and waste management, like disposing of unsold food. Retail stores' energy use, especially if sourced from fossil fuels, contributes to CO2 emissions.

The number of private cars categorized by ownership, fuel type, and time.

CO2-Emission for a fuel car and electric car

4250

This is the Co2 per kg emission from a fuelcar in a year

2688

This is the Co2 per kg emission from a electriccar in a year

What have people voted?

Who leaves the biggest CO2 footprint?