Author: Selena Ross

A splash here, a splash there. You might not think your cooking oil matters much for the climate and the environment. But it does.Farming accounts for about a third of global carbon emissions. And, according to a major study published in 2022, nearly 20 percent of the planet’s total farmed land goes toward oil crops.But that doesn’t mean that all oils are bad. Some are much better than others. And, in some cases, they might even provide a net benefit in terms of planet-warming carbon.Here, in a nutshell, is what you should know.The global rankingsJust four crops make up more than 85 percent of the world’s edible oil: palm, soy, canola and sunflower.Peanut, coconut and olive oils are the next biggest. All the others, including corn, grapeseed and avocado, make up just a sliver of the global market.According to that study published in 2022, canola and sunflower oil are the two best bets for the climate, on average, around the world.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.