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Vegan diets in Germany can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 60 percent
Experts state that transitioning to a plant-based diet can significantly reduce an individual's carbon footprint. According to Nils Rettenmaier from the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg (ifeu), animal products account for 60 to 65 percent of food-related CO2 emissions in an average diet, with beef being particularly emission-intensive due to methane production.
In Germany, millions of people follow vegetarian or vegan lifestyles. The 2025 Nutrition Report from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture indicates that approximately two percent of the population is vegan and seven percent is vegetarian. Among those aged 18 to 29, these figures are slightly higher, at 2.7 percent and nearly eight percent, respectively.
While plant-based diets require less water and land, experts warn that other factors can offset these gains. For instance, high-frequency air travel or the transport of products like avocados and mangoes via aircraft can negate the environmental benefits of avoiding animal products.
Entities
German Ministry of Agriculture · German Nutrition Society · Germany · Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg · Nils Rettenmaier · United Nations
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Plant-based products often require less water and farmland than animal products. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] About seven percent of the German population is vegetarian. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The Earth is heading toward a warming of 2.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial times. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The global goal to limit climate change consequences is 1.5 degrees. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Approximately two percent of the German population is vegan. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Plant-based foods cause fewer greenhouse gases than meat or milk. www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · www.nordbayern.de · www.dattelner-morgenpost.de · www.stimberg-zeitung.de