Throughout their life cycle, animal protein production processes generate 15-24% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume 29% of the total water footprint of the agricultural sector worldwide. While it has been acknowledged that alternative proteins (plant, microbial, and insect proteins) can lessen the damage that animal proteins cause to the environment, the possible sustainability-related risks associated with the alternative protein processing technologies currently are still obvious, which could be eliminated through low-carbon technological innovations. Here, we examine the recent technological developments and future directions for accelerating the green transition that aim to address these issues in a cradle-to-grave fashion, with particular attention on whole-component utilization and waste-to-protein conversion pathways, while focusing on sustainability challenges and solutions within a circular bioeconomy framework. Their impacts on the Sustainable Development Goals in the United Nations Agenda 2030 were further discussed, particularly with regard to natural resources, energy, and environmental impacts.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.