Carbon cost of meat in US: This is how many greenhouse gas emissions are released

<figure><img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/syndication.abcaudio.com/files/2025-10-20/G_cows_102025.jpg” alt=””><figcaption>A herd of cows housed inside a barn in Hottot-les-Bagues, Normandy, France, on June 13, 2024. Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>(NEW YORK) — Researchers have quantified how meat consumption in the U.S. is contributing to the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.</p><p>More than 11 million tons of meat is consumed in U.S. cities annually — equating to about 329 million tons of carbon emissions, according to a study published Monday in the scientific journal <a href=”https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02450-7″ target=”_blank”>Nature Climate Change</a>.</p><p>That figure is comparable to emission levels from domestic