🚨 New IPCC report 🚨

🚨 Either we rapidly cut emissions in the next few years - or breach 1.5 degrees warming. "Without reducing and cutting down on meat consumption and the associated high-intensity agriculture systems, we will not be able to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. That is very clear," the scientist and co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Hans Poertner, said in March 2022.

🌡️ Previously, the IPCC found, with high confidence, that a shift to more plant-based diets could mitigate GHG emissions - e.g. a flexitarian diet (75% of meat and dairy replaced by cereals and pulses, with only one portion of red meat a week) would reduce global emissions by approximately 5 GtCO2eq per year.

🗑️ This is equivalent to a 54% reduction in the 9.3 Gt CO2eq of 2018 global agricultural emissions (within the farm gate and including related land use change). It would also free up land to restore natural ecosystems like forests and sequester further carbon.

🌎 The report finds that the world's richest 10% "contribute 34-45% of global consumption-based emissions.” Thus, rich countries must try to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions “as close as possible to 2040” said UN secretary general, António Guterres (others have argued convincingly that it should be more like 2030-25 for more meaningful climate equity). That means rapidly decarbonising EVERY sector to zero emissions within the next decade - including agriculture/land use. We must act now.

Martin Bowman's post

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