Britons will not have to cut down on kebabs to help the UK hit its emissions-cutting targets, Sir Keir Starmer has made clear.
The Prime Minister was pressed on a report from the Government's climate change advisers which said that people would have to cut their meat consumption and eat more vegetarian meals to help with emissions.
The Climate Change Committee published its official advice to the government on meeting the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
Emily Nurse, head of net zero at the committee said that while people will not have to become vegan, the committee expects "to see a shift in dietary habits".
Starmer was pressed about the prospect of a kebab ban to hit net zero targets by reporters on his 36-hour round trip visit to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Asked if he agreed that people would have to give up two kebabs-worth of meat a week to help hit the net zero target, he said: "I'm not in the business of telling people how they should run their lives.
"I am absolutely clear that we are going to get to clean power and absolutely keep our commitment to net zero because it is so important for the next generation and generations to come.
"That does not mean telling people how to run their lives. That is not the right way to go about it."
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According to the Energy Saving Trust, the production of animal-based foods tend to be more harmful to the environment than that of plant-based foods.
This is because land-use change and processes used in farming make up much of the carbon footprint of most foods.
Animal-based foods tend to score considerably higher in these two areas than plant-based foods.
The Trust says grazing animals require a lot of land, often created through deforestation while livestock also produce large quantities of methane, a particularly harmful greenhouse gas.
Find Out More...
The Prime Minister was pressed on a report from the Government's climate change advisers which said that people would have to cut their meat consumption and eat more vegetarian meals to help with emissions.
The Climate Change Committee published its official advice to the government on meeting the UK’s target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
Emily Nurse, head of net zero at the committee said that while people will not have to become vegan, the committee expects "to see a shift in dietary habits".
Starmer was pressed about the prospect of a kebab ban to hit net zero targets by reporters on his 36-hour round trip visit to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Asked if he agreed that people would have to give up two kebabs-worth of meat a week to help hit the net zero target, he said: "I'm not in the business of telling people how they should run their lives.
"I am absolutely clear that we are going to get to clean power and absolutely keep our commitment to net zero because it is so important for the next generation and generations to come.
"That does not mean telling people how to run their lives. That is not the right way to go about it."
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According to the Energy Saving Trust, the production of animal-based foods tend to be more harmful to the environment than that of plant-based foods.
This is because land-use change and processes used in farming make up much of the carbon footprint of most foods.
Animal-based foods tend to score considerably higher in these two areas than plant-based foods.
The Trust says grazing animals require a lot of land, often created through deforestation while livestock also produce large quantities of methane, a particularly harmful greenhouse gas.
Find Out More...