Half of Irish people refuse to change diet or car usage to stop climate change

Half of Irish adults do not see a need to change what they eat or how much they drive to reduce their carbon footprint, according to the ESRI.

Scientists said the study warns that the Government must come clean with the public about the high emissions cost of eating meat, while also dramatically improving public transport options to help combat climate change.

The study from the ESRI reveals ­that 47 per cent of people see no need to cut down on meat, while nearly a third (30 per cent) have no intention of using their car less and a quarter (25 per cent) say they cannot do so.

The findings from the research suggested that while the transport sector is best recognised by the public as a source of greenhouse gas emissions, one in five motorists do not consider the impact of their driving on the environment.

Over half of people travel by private vehicle five or more days per week, with one-in-four doing so every day and many journeys covering relatively short distances.

When asked about the specific reasons for finding change difficult, 49 per cent pointed to the lack of availability and reliability of public transport, while 23 per cent said that cost is a barrier.

The ESRI also suggested that almost half of adults in Ireland consume more than double the Planetary Health Diet recommendations (a global reference diet for adults), with other estimates suggesting that consumption of red meat may be quadruple the Planetary Health Diet.

More strikingly, the research suggests that although eating meat is considered to have one of the largest influences on an individual’s carbon footprint, the vast majority of the public do not make this connection.

They said that the lack of awareness is “unsurprising” as there is no provision in the Climate Action Plan for “encouraging sustainable diet shifts.”

The study suggested that providing consumers with information on what to buy and how to prepare food may help to “reduce the volume of high-carbon food consumed”.

Dr. Shane Timmons of the ESRI’s behavioural research unit said that most people recognise the need to reduce their own carbon footprint and many have already made changes to their daily life.

“Knowing which actions make the biggest difference is a big problem, particularly when it comes to food. More guidance about how to make affordable, nutritious meals that limit foods with high emissions might help,” he said.