A global shift to plant-rich diets starting right now would be a game-changer for our planet, rapidly halting many of the environmental emergencies cited above and opening the door for transformative restoration of our planet almost immediately. Importantly, if people living in wealthier nations who have an abundance of food available to them were to immediately begin eating far more plant foods (vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices) and far fewer to no animal products (meat, dairy, eggs and fish), a substantial portion of earth’s land that is currently used for pasture and feed crop production could theoretically be liberated back to nature for revegetation and carbon sequestration. The carbon sequestration potential of such a shift is estimated to be between 332–547 GtCO₂ by the year 2050, equivalent to 99–163% of the CO₂ emissions budget consistent with a 66% chance of limiting warming to 1.5 °C.