253: Could switching to a climatarian diet really save the planet?

Could adopting a climatarian diet be the biggest single change each of us could make to reduce global warming?

It's a big question, and possibly a big change for many of us, but James Hand, Co-Founder of Giki Zero, thinks it could have the biggest impact.

In this episode of the Table Talk podcast, James sets out why and attempts to bust some myths around climatarian diets.

He says that the average person in the UK has a carbon footprint of nine tonnes per year, and in order to meet CO2 reduction targets, that needs to come down to two tonnes.

Our diet is one of the areas we have a lot of control of, and when you consider that food makes up around 25 per cent of the average person's carbon footprint, it's clear that making a positive change would have a big impact.

But how easy and how realistic is it to expect everyone to make such a change? What are the main challenges for the average consumer? And can those challenges really be overcome?

When thinking about the carbon footprint of the food we eat, there are so many things to consider; farming practices, processing, packaging, delivery. So is it all just too difficult?

And what are the worst foods when it comes to impacting the environment? 

Would simply removing meat and dairy from your diet make a big enough difference? Would switching your pet food to insect protein help? 

James tries to answer all these questions and more. Listen to the full episodes to find out what a climatarian diet might look like, how market forces are both helping and hindering moves towards more sustainable eating, and why James believes it's vitally important not to take the fun out of food.

James Hand, Co-Founder, Giki Zero

James Hand is a data scientist and carbon footprint specialist who co-founded Giki with his wife Jo in 2017. 

Before setting up Giki, James worked for 20 years in fund management at Ninety One where he was co-CIO, co-head of the 4Factor equity team and built the ESG team. 

James has worked with various academics, including Dr Richard Carmichael, on the role that individuals can play in achieving Net Zero and lectured on behavioural finance and personal carbon footprints

About Giki Zero

Giki offers a step by step guide to reduce an individual’s footprint on the planet. 

It calculates, tracks and reduces environmental foodprints.