Friday, 6 September 2024
A new government report has further demonstrated the need for a comprehensive approach to climate accounting that uses modern science and acknowledges the difference between enteric methane emissions and carbon dioxide from fossil fuels.
The Climate Change Authority Sector Pathways (CCASP) report, released yesterday, confirms that safeguarding Australia’s food and fibre production is critical for food security and economic growth, and that food production and land management are interlinked with societal and environmental issues.
“Primary producers actively manage their landscapes in a way to ensure environmental health, livestock health and productivity priorities can be met,” Cattle Australia CEO Dr Chris Parker said.
“The role primary producers play in managing more than 50% of the nation’s landmass should be better supported and encouraged, and the CCASP report acknowledges this by stating that technologies that reduce agricultural emissions and simultaneously achieve productivity benefits are a priority.”
However, Dr Parker rejected the report’s claims agriculture would struggle to reach net zero and implored regulators to apply modern, fair and appropriate accounting for the red meat sector.
“Biogenic methane emissions are short-lived and part of a natural cycle – it is utterly ridiculous to suggest that people need to reduce red meat consumption and compromise a healthy diet to support environmental outcomes,” Dr Parker said.
“Livestock are a critical source of food security and cattle producers play a crucial role in biodiversity management. Scapegoating the livestock industry by asking farmers to give up land to offset the emissions of the fossil fuels sector puts these at risk.”
Cattle Australia has consistently pointed out to government the scientific evidence showing methane emissions are part of a 12-year, short-lived biogenic cycle. They therefore have a different impact on global warming than emissions from fossil fuels which are additional to the atmosphere and persist for thousands of years.
“There are serious ramifications from the current approach to carbon accounting, not just for our sector but society as a whole,” Dr Parker said.
“This report bells the cat on the need for an urgent rethink of carbon accounting so that comprehensive policies can be developed that take into consideration global food security, human health, biodiversity and land management.”
ENDS
MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Stacey Wordsworth
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillagency.com.au
0438 394 371
Michael Thomson
michael.thomson@bluehillagency.com.au
0408 819 666
