Beef burger vs Bean burger
The burger is the clearest single-meal illustration of the gap. A black-bean or lentil patty costs about 3% of the beef version's climate impact while adding fibre no meat contains.
Per per 150 g patty
Greenhouse gaseskg CO₂e
Beef burger
15
Bean burger
0.4
Land usem²
Beef burger
49
Bean burger
2.3
Saturated fatg
Beef burger
9
Bean burger
1.5
Fibreg
Beef burger
0
Bean burger
9
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science · Our World in Data · USDA FoodData Central
Verdict
One swap saves roughly the emissions of driving 60 km.
Questions people ask
How does a processed plant burger compare?
Commercial plant patties emit around 90% less than beef; a whole-food bean patty is lower still and cheaper.