Eggs: carbon footprint per kg
Live factor value
1.23 kgCO2e per kg
Source: The Big Climate Database (CONCITO, Denmark), 1.2 (revision 1). Factor set bcd-1.2-r1.
Eggs are among the lowest-carbon animal proteins in The Big Climate Database — the live figure is below, and it lands closer to the plant foods than to any of the meats. A laying hen converts feed into food for well over a year, so the emissions of raising her are spread across hundreds of eggs rather than a single carcass.
The remaining footprint is almost entirely feed production, which is why the figure moves with grain and soy rather than with anything happening on the farm itself. For a household looking to keep animal protein in the diet while moving the number, eggs are the cheapest swap available in this section.
Worked example
A dozen medium eggs (about 720 g): 0.72 × 1.23 = 0.9 kgCO2e.
Measure your own with the free food calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Are free-range eggs higher-carbon than barn eggs?
- The database publishes the free-range figure shown here. Housing system changes land use and feed conversion in both directions, and the difference is small next to the gap between eggs and any meat.
- How do eggs compare with meat per kilogram?
- Far lower than every cut of meat in this database, chicken included — only diluted things like stock made up with water come in beneath them. Per gram of protein the gap narrows a little, since eggs are more water by weight, but the ranking holds.