not many people know
Paul Homewood
h/t Paul Kolker
Britain must cut meat and dairy consumption by up to 50% to meet its latest net-zero emissions target, the government's climate watchdog said.
The Committee on Climate Change says that in an ideal scenario, meat and dairy consumption should be halved by 2050 and replaced by other products Plant-based options.
The proposals are part of a new net zero target recommended to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
In a letter to Mr Miliband, the committee said the government must reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 81% by 2035 compared with a base year of 1990. ton.
CCC chairman Piers Forster said persuading British consumers to change their eating habits would play a key role in achieving such massive cuts.
Foster did not specify how Britain could eat less meat, but options could include reducing subsidies for livestock, taxing meat products and regulators clamping down on advertising.
The committee urges the government to reduce livestock numbers, particularly sheep and cattle, because of the methane they believe the animals produce is a key cause of climate change..
The UK has nearly 10 million cattle and calves, and around 32 million sheep and lambs.
David Handley of Farmers Action, who keeps 500 sheep and 100 cattle on his farm in Monmouthshire, said: “The amount of methane produced by agriculture is compared with emissions from transport and other sectors. Very little.
“But these rules and regulations are destroying the industry and the UK’s ability to produce its own food.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/10/26/britons-urged-to-eat-less-meat-hit-latest-net-zero-target
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Do they really think people care so much about net-zero emissions that they’ll give up meat?
Of course, we all know that when they say “persuade,” they really mean “force.”
In their zeal, they seem unconcerned about the impact their policies will have on the rural economy. In England alone, livestock and dairy farming employ more than 120,000 people and meat production is worth £9 billion a year, according to DEFRA.
Industry estimates suggest the number of employees could triple if indirect jobs and jobs in the meatpacking industry are added.
Worse still, if livestock and dairy farming are ended, rural economies in some parts of the country could be devastated. Shops, pubs, garages and other local businesses are not immune to such a disaster.
It would be reckless to even consider such an outcome. This is why climate scholar Piers Foster is completely unfit to be in charge of climate decision-making.
As always, while we work hard to reduce our meat consumption, the rest of the world is increasing it year by year. Our consumption accounts for only 1% of the world's consumption.
https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#compare
None of that matters to Pierce Foster, though. All he cares about is the UK’s net zero target.
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