Pathways to carbon-neutrality for the Australian red meat sector

Abstract

The Australian red meat industry is an important contributor to the national economy and international markets. A focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this sector presents an important opportunity for the sustainability of the industry and to enable Australia to achieve its commitments set under the Paris climate agreement. Here we show that through changes in land management and application of technologies to reduce enteric methane emissions from grazing livestock it is possible for the Australian red meat industry to substantially reduce GHG emissions, and even become carbon neutral. We calculated baseline (2005) and current (2015) GHG emissions for the red meat sector, then examined the mitigation potential and costs of potential pathways to reduce and offset emissions. Emissions from the Australian red meat industry have decreased from 124.1 Mt CO2e in 2005 to 68.6 Mt CO2e in 2015, primarily through reductions in land clearing. Achieving carbon neutrality is possible with continued improvements in vegetation management combined with methods to reduce livestock emissions, sequester carbon, and maintain animal numbers. While possible, this ambitious target will require timely and substantial investment and policy support from private and government bodies.