Carbon Footprint

Carbon emissions: It's time to take action

What do you think are the world’s worst carbon emitters? Cars? Airlines? Power plants? It may surprise you to know that carbon emissions from livestock are on the list, which is why we all must take action. To help you get the measure of this, this page shows the carbon lifecycle of our leading products.

The carbon foodprint?

The stats are stark. One-third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food-systems, with the footprint from animal products alone making up well over 50% of the industry’s global carbon emissions. It’s really quite simple: choose food that produces less carbon emissions as a step in the right direction to prevent climate change.

Livestock

16.5%

The livestock sector generates around 16.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.[1]

Animal products

57%

Well over half of all food-related emissions come directly from animal products.[2]

Land use

77%

Global livestock agriculture uses 77% of agricultural land.[3]

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and The European Commission use a formula called a ‘carbon dioxide equivalent’ (CO2e) to measure a product’s footprint. Here are the CO2e emissions per kg of some UK protein sources.

UK Beef Mince

32kg CO2e per kg[4]

UK Chicken

5kg CO2e per kg[4]

UK Pork

11kg CO2e per kg[4]

UK Fish

1kg CO2e per kg[4]

Quorn mycoprotein

0.7kg CO2e per kg[4]

A step in the right direction

At Quorn®, we’re proud to say we are the first global meat-free brand to have the carbon footprint of our products third-party accredited. Our in-house carbon foot-printing experts do the maths and calculate the emissions of our products. The data is then checked and accredited by the Carbon Trust, so you can be clear on the numbers, when you are choosing what to eat. Where you see one of our products has been certified by the Carbon Trust, it means we’ve not only measured the footprint of the product, but that we’ve also committed to continue to reduce its carbon footprint. So over time, as you enjoy Quorn meals, they will help you reduce your carbon footprint.

Carbon calculation for Quorn Mince, 300g Frozen

CO2e = carbon dioxide equivalent

0.16
kg CO2e (Per serving)

Our products are all measured per kilogram and per serving from farm to fork, showing the carbon footprint of the whole product’s lifecycle

Calculating carbon: doing the sums on CO2 emissions

The Quorn Foods sustainability team works closely with the Carbon Trust to examine the entire lifecycle of our products. From the ingredients we use, to the energy in our factories, transportation and even the packaging you take home with you – right through to emissions related to home storage and cooking, it’s all factored in. We do this to show you our own numbers, and we encourage you to ask other food producers to do the same.

You’ll start to see this logo on our most popular products

It never hurts to ask

At Quorn, our goal is to be transparent and clear about our carbon footprint. You’ll find the answers to our most commonly-asked questions below, but if you want to know more, just get in touch!

See all FAQs

Net Positive Report

Want to know more about all the exciting developments and innovations helping to make Quorn even more sustainable? Read more on our sustainability page or download our latest Net Positive Report.

Find out more