Changing Climate, Changing Diets:
Pathways to Lower Meat Consumption
Research work by
Research Associate, Energy,
Environment and Resources
Senior Research Fellow,
Energy, Environment and Resources
And
Catherine
Happer, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Glasgow
Reducing
global meat consumption will be critical to keeping global warming below the
‘danger level’ of two degrees Celsius, the main goal of the climate negotiations in Paris.
- See more at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/changing-climate-changing-diets#sthash.GNVQbPwQ.dpuf
Key findings
- Our appetite for meat is a major driver of climate change.
- Reducing global meat consumption will be critical to keeping global warming below the ‘danger level’ of two degrees Celsius.
- Public awareness of the issue is low, and meat remains off the policy agenda.
- Governments must lead in shifting attitudes and
behaviours.
The problem
- Our appetite for meat is a major driver of
climate change. Reducing global meat consumption will be critical to
keeping global warming below the ‘danger level’ of two degrees Celsius. The livestock sector accounts for 15 per cent of global
emissions, equivalent to exhaust emissions from all the vehicles in the
world. A shift to healthier patterns of meat-eating could bring a
quarter of the emissions reductions we need to keep on track for a
two-degree world.
- Global meat consumption has already
reached unhealthy levels, and is on the rise. In industrialized countries, the average
person is already eating twice as much meat as is deemed healthy by
experts. Overconsumption is already contributing
to the rise of obesity and non-communicable diseases like cancer and
type-2 diabetes, and it is a growing problem: global meat consumption is
set to rise by over 75 per cent by 2050.
- Governments are missing a key opportunity for
climate mitigation, trapped in a cycle of inertia. In
spite of a compelling case for addressing meat consumption and shifting
diets, governments fear the repercussions of intervention, while
low public awareness means they feel little pressure to intervene.
Key findings
- Public awareness of the link between diet and climate change is very low. There is a considerable awareness
gap around the links between livestock, diet and climate change. While
awareness-raising alone will not be sufficient to effect dietary change,
it will be crucial to ensuring the efficacy of the range of government
policy interventions required.
- Governments must lead. Our research found a general belief across
cultures and continents that it is the role of government to spearhead
efforts to address unsustainable consumption of meat. Governments
overestimate the risk of public backlash and their inaction signals to
publics that the issue is unimportant or undeserving of concern.
- The issue is complex but the message must be
simple. Publics respond best to simple messages. Efforts must be made
to develop meaningful, accessible and impactful messaging around the need for dietary change.
The overall message remains clear: globally we should eat less meat.
- Trusted sources are key to raising awareness. Unless
disseminated and supported by trusted sources, new information that
encourages shifts in meat-eating habits is likely to be met with
resistance. Trust in governments varies considerably between countries,
but experts are consistently seen as the most reliable source of
information within a country.
Recommendations
- Build the case for government
intervention. A
compelling evidence base which resonates with existing policy objectives
such as managing healthcare costs, reducing emissions and implementing
international frameworks will help mobilize policy-makers.
- Initiate national debates about meat
consumption. Increasing
public awareness about the problems of overconsumption of animal products
can help disrupt the cycle of inertia, thereby creating more enabling
domestic circumstances and the political space for policy intervention.
This is a role for governments, the media, the scientific community, civil
society and responsible business.
- Pursue comprehensive approaches. Shifting diets will require comprehensive strategies, which together will amount to more than the sum of their parts by sending a powerful signal to consumers that reducing meat consumption is beneficial and that government takes the issue seriously.
Related article:-
(opens in new
window)
Laura Wellesley's (the author of this research study) article in BBC News can be read here
Laura Wellesley's (the author of this research study) article in BBC News can be read here
No comments:
Post a Comment