Human consumption of meat driving climate change

Human consumption of meat and dairy products is a major driver of climate change, according to a new report.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their production are estimated to account for over 14.5 per cent of the global total.

This is more than the emissions produced from powering all the world’s road vehicles, trains, ships and aeroplanes combined.

Demand for animal products is rising fast. By 2050, consumption of meat and dairy is expected to have risen 76 per cent and 65 per cent respectively against a 2005–07 baseline, compared with 40 per cent for cereals.

Beef and dairy are the most emissions-intensive livestock products and are responsible for the most emissions, accounting for 65 per cent of the total GHGs emitted by livestock.

"Increasing productivity, whether through intensive farming, technology or improved animal husbandry, offers an opportunity to reduce emissions while raising farm profitability," the report said.

"Intensive rearing of cattle on feedlots is less emissions-intensive than pasture-based grazing systems because grass-fed cows tend to produce more methane and take longer to reach slaughter weight.

"Consumers with low awareness of a sector’s contribution to climate change are less likely to indicate willingness to change their behaviour in order to reduce emissions. Compared with other sectors, the awareness gap appears particularly problematic for livestock.

"Despite the clear case for action to tackle demand for meat and dairy products, there is a remarkable lack of policies, initiatives or campaigns to do so.

"The received wisdom among governments and campaign groups appears to be that trying to reduce consumption of animal products is at best too complex a challenge, and at worst risks backlash. However, this view remains untested and ignores the fact that government interventions and public campaigns in pursuit of societal benefits have successfully shifted consumer behaviour in the past, perhaps most prominently in the case of smoking."