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Londoners
eat a staggering eight billion meals a year and produce nearly 19
million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, a report reveals.
The
report was commissioned by the Greater London Authority and the
London Development Agency, supported by London Food and compiled by
Brook Lyndhurst - it is the first to examine the impact of what
London eats on climate change. The report examines the capital's
entire food emissions including not just carbon emissions (carbon
dioxide) but also methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases used
for refrigeration and other industrial processes, all of which are
responsible for climate change. 78 per cent of these emissions occur
outside of London in the production and transport of food to London,
and 22 per cent takes place inside London, travelling to the shops
and restaurants, storing, preparation, eating and throwing away food.
The
report shows London's schools and hospitals serve around 110 million
meals a year, and that the capital boasts 1,200 restaurants (most of
which are independently owned), 6,000 cafes and more than 5,000 pubs
and bars. There are 36,000 allotments in London producing an
equivalent two million meals but long waiting lists show many more
Londoners would like to grow their own.
The
report findings included:
*
Across all 6 greenhouse gases total emissions from the food eaten
and grown in London is estimated at the equivalent of nearly 19
million tonnes of CO2 per year
*
Carbon dioxide emissions from London's food consumption are just
over 10 million tonnes
*
The report concludes that the majority of food related emissions
comes from the production of food, accounting for 44 per cent. Much
of this occurs outside of London.
*
Within London, the majority of emissions are from the preparation
and storage of food
*
It is estimated that we throw away a third of the food we buy:
London's food waste therefore represents 6.3 million tonnes of
greenhouse gases
Boris
Johnson, Mayor of London, said: ''This report shows there are
massive opportunities in London to reduce food waste helping to both
save ourselves money by throwing away less food and cut climate
change emissions.'
Rosie
Boycott, said: 'How our food arrives on our plates is often taken
for granted, yet there are many elements which impact unnecessarily
on the environment. This report details the greenhouse gas footprint
of London's food system for the first time showing us where we can
take steps to make changes. I will be working with the Mayor to find
ways to make London's food networks more environmentally friendly and
improving the supply of good quality, reasonably priced, locally
sourced food.'
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