Butter vs Olive oil
Swapping butter for olive oil is one of the highest-evidence single dietary changes for cardiovascular risk, and it also halves the climate cost of the fat in your cooking.
Per per kg
Greenhouse gaseskg CO₂e / kg
Butter
11.5
Olive oil
5.4
Land usem² / kg
Butter
39
Olive oil
26.3
Saturated fatg / 100 g
Butter
51
Olive oil
14
Cholesterolmg / 100 g
Butter
215
Olive oil
0
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science · Our World in Data · USDA FoodData Central
Verdict
Olive oil halves emissions and cuts saturated fat by around 70%.
Questions people ask
Is plant margarine as good?
Non-hydrogenated plant spreads are close to olive oil on saturated fat and lower still on emissions; avoid palm-heavy formulations.