Eating less meat, dairy may help meet climate targets: Study
- Getting protein from plant sources instead of animals could help meet climate targets and reduce the risk of overshooting temperature goals, scientists say.
- A study published in the journal Climate Policy has found that livestock sector could use almost half of the 1.5 degrees Celsius greenhouse gas emission budget allowed by 2030.
- The first step is to acknowledge that current numbers of livestock are at their peak and will need to decline.
- The next step is to set targets to transition away from livestock products starting with foods linked with the highest greenhouse gas emissions such as beef, then cow’s milk and pig meat.
- Finally, assessing suitable replacement products against a range of criteria including greenhouse gas emission targets, land usage, and public health benefits will also help.
- The study also found that the current livestock population in the world is around 28 billion animals and constitutes the highest source of two major greenhouse gases - methane and nitrous oxide.
