The number exceeds the commitment made by the summit’s organising body, the Extraordinary Secretariat. The Secretariat announced at the UN climate meetings in Bonn in June that it had set a target of 40% vegan and vegetarian foods for COP30 catering.
Stefany Guerreiro, food and nutrition project manager at ProVeg Brazil, said: "We are pleased that Brazil has met and exceeded its target for climate-friendly catering.
“Food is a central theme on the climate agenda, especially in Brazil. We can't discuss the climate crisis without talking about food systems, and transitioning to plant-rich diets is one of the most effective solutions for a person to reduce their impact on the climate.”
According to calculations livestock production is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in Brazil, well ahead of transportation and energy. It is estimated to account for approximately 60% of the country's total emissions.
The survey also found that 12% of the proposed savoury dishes and snacks contain beef, a food product with one of the biggest carbon footprints. Of the 19 locations analysed, seven had flaws in the signage of the plant-based options.
Guerreiro added: “The presence of beef at an event focused on the climate crisis, is surprising. We found menus where the icons were simply not used, or were applied sporadically. This makes the identification of plant-based options unintuitive, requiring the consumer to actively check each ingredient.”