Which milk has the lowest carbon footprint?
Same litre, same use — the fair comparison for a daily habit.
Compared on: 1 litre of milk
Cow's milk
3.2 kg CO₂eEnteric methane, feed and manure management dominate.
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science
Rice milk
1.2 kg CO₂eMethane from flooded paddies keeps this above other plant milks.
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science
Soy milk
1.0 kg CO₂eLow input crop; land use varies by origin.
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science
Oat milk
0.90 kg CO₂eTemperate cereal, low water and land intensity.
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science
Almond milk
0.70 kg CO₂eLowest carbon of the set, but water-intensive where it is grown.
Source: Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science
What this means
- Every plant milk is roughly 3× lower carbon than dairy per litre.
- The differences between plant milks are small next to the dairy gap.
- Carbon is not the only axis: almond has a water cost, rice has a methane cost.
Your own number, not an average
Averages answer the question; your own footprint tells you what to change first. The calculator takes about two minutes and needs no account.
Figures are averages drawn from public databases and peer-reviewed LCA work; see our methodology for how each factor is applied.