Abstract
Meat reduction is central to achieving climate targets. Here, using the transtheoretical model, we assessed readiness to reduce meat consumption in 2018 and diet-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2014 and 2018 among 13,635 French adults. Individuals in advanced stages of meat reduction in 2018 decreased GHG emissions between 2014 and 2018, mainly through reducing ruminant meat, with smaller decreases in pork and poultry. Despite these changes, GHG emissions remained above national targets, indicating that current efforts are insufficient to achieve climate goals.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the steering committee of the NutriNet-Santé study (collaboration@etude-nutrinet-sante.fr).
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Acknowledgements
We thank all the volunteers of the NutriNet-Santé cohort. We also thank S. Aloui (IT manager), T. H. Van Duong, R. Gatibelza, A. Timera and J. Mohinder (computer scientists), F. Szabo de Edelenyi (data management supervisor), J. Allègre, N. Arnault, L. Bourhis and N. Dechamp (data managers/biostatisticians), P. Yvroud (physician), M. Gomes and M. Foham (participant support), C. Agaesse (dietician supervisor), A. De-Sa and L. Legris (dieticians), N. Khemache (administrative supervisor), M. Ajanohun and S. Hadji (administration and finance) and M. Ricau (operational coordinator) for their technical contribution to the NutriNet-Santé study. The BioNutriNet project (PI EKG) was supported by the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) in the context of the 2013 Programme de Recherche Systèmes Alimentaires Durables (ANR-13-ALID-0001). The TRANSFood (PI E.K.G.) project was supported by the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche) (ANR - 21- CE21 - 0011). The NutriNet-Santé cohort study is funded by the following public institutions, the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health, the National Agency for Public Health (Santé Publique France), the National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts (CNAM), the Centre for Epidemiological Research and Statistics (CRESS) and Sorbonne Paris Nord University. The funders had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analysis or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results. A.R. is supported by a doctoral scholarship from Université Sorbonne Paris Nord. J.Br. is supported by a doctoral scholarship from INRAE and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME).
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B.A. and E.K.G. codirected the study. S.H., C.M., M.T., S.P., B.A. and E.K.G.: cohort study design and implementation; B.A., C.M. and A.R.: conceptualization; A.R., B.A., E.K.G. and J. Brunin: data curation; A.R.: formal analysis; C.M., B.A. and E.K.G.: funding acquisition; A.R., B.A., E.K.G. and J. Baudry: investigation; A.R., J. Baudry, J. Brunin, E.K.G. and B.A.: methodology; B.A. and E.K.G.: resources; B.A., E.K.G. and J. Baudry: supervision and validation; A.R.: writing—original draft; all authors: writing—review and editing.
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Reuzé, A., Baudry, J., Brunin, J. et al. Greater readiness to reduce meat consumption is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Nat Food (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01332-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01332-1
