Plant Protein Shift Offers UK Retailers Cheapest Route to 2030 Climate Targets, Eunomia Report Finds

A new report by UK sustainability consultancy Eunomia for food advocacy group Madre Brava suggests that British supermarkets need to shift their protein sales towards plant-based sources in order to meet their 2030 climate obligations. The study models three main routes for addressing Scope 3 Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions, with a "medium" shift towards plant-based proteins showing strong potential for delivering required emissions reductions and increasing retailer profitability.

The analysis highlights the significant gap between retailer commitments and current sales of plant-based items, with recommendations including setting a specific protein shift target, improving transparency on sales data, advocating for policy reform, supporting food waste initiatives, and deepening supplier partnerships. The report emphasizes that while reducing food waste and improving agricultural practices are important, a shift towards plant-based proteins is essential to meet climate targets and can potentially save money for retailers.