Eating less meat ‘like taking 8m cars off road’

Having big UK meat-eaters cut some of it out of their diet would be like taking 8 million cars off the road.

That’s just one of the findings of new research that scientists say gives the most reliable calculation yet of how what we eat impacts our planet.

The Oxford University study is the first to pinpoint the difference high- and low-meat diets have on greenhouse gas emissions, researchers say.

Prof Peter Scarborough, of Oxford University, who led the new research, told BBC News: ”Our results show that if everyone in the UK who is a big meat-eater reduced the amount of meat they ate, it would make a really big difference.”

“You don’t need to completely eradicate meat from your diet.”