Eating plant-based is the most delicious solution to the climate crisis

Great success - KlimaUdfordringen continues!

Every year we hold KlimaUdfordringen in partnership with Greenpeace and Plantevækst. Normally, registration closes in mid-January — but this year, demand to continue has been so high that you can still sign up! Are you interested in sustainability, climate, and the environment? And are you curious whether a plant-based diet might be right for you? Keep reading to learn why you should join KlimaUdfordringen 2023!

What is KlimaUdfordringen?

Thousands of people—both in Denmark and many other countries—start the year by challenging ingrained habits and swapping animal products like meat and dairy for plants. And that makes a difference for the climate. Because eating plant-based is actually the single actionthat alone reduces your climate and environmental footprint the most.

At the same time, eating plant-based is both delicious and healthy. That's why Greenpeace organizes KlimaUdfordringen in January in collaboration with Dyrenes Alliance and Plantevækst.

KlimaUdfordringen is a guide and source of inspiration for anyone wanting to eat greener. When you sign up, you’ll receive daily emails for 22 days with meal plans, recipes, challenges, and knowledge about nutrition, environment, and climate. Past participants tell us these new food experiences help create lasting greener eating habits after the challenge ends.

What difference does our food make for the climate?

The production of farmed animals accounts for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions and occupies 83 percent of the world’s agricultural land. In fact, animal farming takes up as much land as all of North and South America combined! But despite occupying so much space, farmed animals only supply the global population with tilsammen!

Men selvom landbrugsdyrene fylder så utrolig meget, så forsyner de kun den globale befolkning med 18 percent of calories and 37 percent of protein in our diet.

If everyone worldwide ate a sustainable diet like the Planetary Health Diet, and we simultaneously cut global food waste in half, we could free up 60 percent of the world’s agricultural land globally.

Imagine all the forests and wildlife habitats we could restore. This would not only greatly benefit the climate but also protect the planet’s critically threatened biodiversity.

Species are going extinct at a pace that has scientists warning of a sixth mass extinction—the kind that last occurred when dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago. So it’s high time, especially here in Denmark, to take the fork in the other hand and swap meat on your plate for legumes and vegetables.

Danes hold an unfortunate record

Denmark ranks among the highest worldwide and in Europe for climate emissions from our food. This is a shameful record, especially in the midst of an urgent climate crisis.

Two years ago, this led authorities to update the Danish dietary guidelinesto align closely with the Planetary Health Diet, adjusted for Danish eating habits—especially recommending more dairy products.

The advice now caps meat at 350 grams per week, urging Danes to cut back especially on beef and pork. The Climate Council has calculated that if all Danes followed these guidelines, we could save the climate up to 3.9 million tons of CO2—equal to nearly 20 million diesel car trips from Copenhagen to Paris.

Many want to change their eating habits

But we’re still far from the goal: the average Dane today eats three times the recommended amount of meat—and more than twice the world average. And while more Danes support limiting meat consumption, many struggle to make the change.

There are many barriers, especially habits and social norms about what’s “normal” in the settings where we live and gather.

If you’re one of many wanting to eat less meat and dairy and to explore new ingredients like legumes, KlimaUdfordringen this might be just what you need to get started.

Our goal with KlimaUdfordringen isn't that everyone becomes vegan, but to inspire you, share knowledge, and hopefully introduce new favorite dishes so you can bring plants much more into your kitchen going forward.

I hope you want to join!