Cut meat and dairy by a fifth to save planet
Report tells Britons to slash car trips, curb flights and...
Britain should cut its meat and dairy consumption by a fifth by the end of the decade to combat climate change, Government advisers have urged.
the ‘ best- case’ scenario proposed by the Committee on Climate Change is then to halve the amount of meat we eat by 2050.
Cutting the number of livestock would help to reduce greenhouse gases that are linked to global warming. the committee’s report targets net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and also proposes cutting flights from the UK by 15 per cent and slashing the number of miles driven by a third.
the advisors have told the Government that the sale of household gas boilers should be phased out by 2033.
the report calls for ordinary people, and not just the Government, to change their lives for the future of the planet.
it suggests families should move away from meat and dairy, helping to reduce livestock numbers, by choosing ‘plant-based options’ – and one day even meat grown in a laboratory.
this could start with the public sector being required to include vegetarian options in all canteens to help shift behaviour, according to the committee in its ‘route map’ for decarbonising the country.
the blueprint calls for the UK to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 78 per cent by 2035.
it also calls for the introduction of a national investment programme to make flats and houses eco-friendly and says that by 2035 440,000 hectares of new mixed woodland should be planted.
Committee chairman Lord Deben said: ‘this is the right carbon budget for the UK at the right time. We deliver our recommendations to Government with genuine enthusiasm, knowing that Britain’s decisive zero-carbon transition brings real benefits to our people and our businesses while making the fundamental changes necessary to protect our planet.’
a frequent flyer tax is discussed in the route map, which calls for flights from the UK to be cut by 15 per cent from 2018 levels in its ‘ highly optimistic’ scenario for lowering emissions. Car-sharing, working from home and walking are among the suggestions to cut the amount of miles people are expected to drive in 2050 by a third.
Last month it was announced new petrol and diesel cars and vans would no longer be sold by 2030. But the committee said hybrid cars, which are part-electric but still have an engine, should be included in this move from 2032.
neil Shand, from the national Beef association, said: ‘Britain’s meat industry is given a lot of unfair criticism over its environmental impact.’ and national Pig association chairman richard Lister said: ‘there has been a heavy bias against meat when it comes to climate change discussions.’