• Bookstore

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 percent 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 percent. 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."