Meat Footprint Calculator
See the estimated greenhouse gas footprint of your typical weekly meat consumption, based on published lifecycle emission averages for common meats.
What this calculator estimates
Producing meat generates greenhouse gases at every stage: feed growing, animal digestion (especially methane from cattle and sheep), manure management, processing, and transport. This calculator multiplies your weekly intake of each meat type by an average lifecycle emissions factor (in kg of CO2-equivalent per kg of meat) to estimate your yearly footprint.
The emission factors used
- Beef: ~60 kg CO2e per kg
- Lamb/Mutton: ~24 kg CO2e per kg
- Pork: ~7 kg CO2e per kg
- Chicken/Poultry: ~6 kg CO2e per kg
- Fish/Seafood: ~5 kg CO2e per kg
These are widely-cited averages from lifecycle-assessment research (e.g. Poore & Nemecek, 2018) and can vary significantly by farming method, region, and feed source. This tool is for general educational and planning purposes, not a precise personal carbon audit.