How red meat is striving to be carbon neutral by 2030 

How the red meat industry is reducing greenhouse gas emissions

CN30 means the Australian red meat and livestock industry aim to make no net release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere by 2030, as measured by the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGHGI). The industry is making positive progress towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by increasing productivity, increasing carbon stored in landscapes, and reducing emissions directly through innovation.

Is it possible for red meat to be carbon neutral by 2030?

According to CSIRO, it is possible for the industry to achieve CN30, without reducing herd and flock numbers below current levels. By improving productivity, increasing soil carbon and reducing emissions, a carbon neutral future can be a reality. Already, GHG emissions from the the red meat and livestock industry have fallen by 78.56%¹ since 2005, with improvements continuing to be made across farms, feedlots and processors.

What’s the industry doing to achieve CN30?

The Australian Red Meat Industry’s Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) Roadmap sets out how the industry will proactively address emissions and become a global leader in sustainable food production. The initiatives include:

• Improvements in feeding practices (better pastures, new types of food, more grains)
• Improved ways of handling manure
• Improved genetics and animal management
• Storing carbon in the land
• Using high-quality feed to improve productivity and reduce emissions.

Many of Australian farmers are already seeing the benefits of getting their business CN30 ready. Hear from Dunkeld Pastoral on what they’re doing to achieve CN30:

Did you know?

• The Australian beef industry has more than halved its net GHG emissions since 2005. 
• It now takes 73% less water to produce a kilogram of beef than it did 30 years ago.
• Due to efforts to reduce land clearing and deforestation on land that produces red meat, total net woody vegetation in Australia has remained stable over the past 30 years.

¹ Data analysed from 2021 Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and 2021 Greenhouse gas footprint of the red meat industry