COP26: 1.5-degree target still alive if we start carbon pricing meat
Sunday 14 November 2021
COP26: 1.5-degree target still alive if we start carbon pricing meat
● Four countries commit a meat and dairy tax to reduce food related GHG-emissions
● Next COP in Egypt countries can sign a ‘Livestock & Meat Pledge’ for rich countries who agree to reduce meat & dairy consumption, production or tax food related emissions.
A draft text can be read here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gAIvHrRwKLPtXT4F-OZIKem8B292-13h/edit you can sent improvements & comments to info@tappcoalitie.nl
● Methane & Zero Deforestation Plegde only feasible by reducing meat consumption.
Reacting to the final COP26 agreement, Jeroom Remmers, TAPP Coalition director, said:
“Meat and dairy consumption form almost 20% of global GHG-emissions. Climate policy is needed to reduce consumption in rich countries. The emissions gap to keep global warming to 1.5 C can be realised if 50 countries who eat most meat, start taxing meat and dairy and subsidize low carbon healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and plant based proteins. This message was sent last summer in an Open Letter to 50 Presidents by 5000 companies and NGO’s from over 100 countries, supporting the Carbon Pricing Food Coalition”.
Remmers: “We are very happy that four countries reacted positively to this call to action, including COP26 host United Kingdom”. The Environmental Secretary Eustice announced a tax on meat and dairy just before the COP26 conference started. Denmark recently announced a CO2 tax for all sectors, including agriculture, according to Bloomberg. Switzerland already had a meat (import) tax. New Zealand announced to include meat and dairy farmers into their ETS system by 2025, with a GHG-emissions tax. Remmers: “We expect that also the Netherlands and Germany will implement a tax on meat and use tax revenues to help farmers to improve sustainability or animal welfare standards”.
The Carbon Pricing Food Coalition will ask 50 UN Member States with highest meat consumption levels (including all OECD countries, China, Russia and Brazil) to join the group of countries who already decided to reduce meat consumption, for instance by fiscal policies, regulations or mass communication. In the next COP27 in Sharm El-Sjeikh in Egypt, countries can sign the ‘Livestock & Meat Pledge’ of likeminded countries who want to reduce meat or dairy related GHG-emissions.
At the COP26 summit in Glasgow, over 100 countries have signed a commitment to reduce their methane emissions by 30% between 2020 and 2030. Remmers: “Livestock contributes most to methane emissions and feed additives alone will not lead to the 30% emissions reduction, so additional policies to reduce meat and dairy consumption are needed to realise the methane pledge goal for 2030. The same is true for the Zero Deforestation Pledge by 2030. Every year, more soy, meat and dairy is produced and forests are cut for it. A meat tax can reduce meat and dairy consumption by 50% in the EU-28, according to a CE Delft report ‘sustainability charge on meat’ published last year, commissioned by TAPP Coalition.
Ends
Note for editors
Draft text Global Livestock and Meat Pledge: https://futurefoodprice.org/global-livestock-and-meat-pledge
Countries & meat taxes: https://tappcoalition.eu/nieuws/16831/increasing-number-of-countries-start-taxing-meat-and-dairy-
COP26 Press conference (blue zone) TAPP Coalition on meat taxes:
https://unfccc-cop26.streamworld.de/webcast/true-animal-protein-price-coalitiontapp-cop26-and-
Photo suggestion: photo of 9 Presidents ‘signing’ for carbon pricing meat (activists with masks of Joe Biden, Xi Linping, Putin, Macron, Merkel etc), see next website link:
Press release 3rd November ‘Meat = Elephant in the COP26 room - Presidents ‘sign’ carbon pricing food: https://tappcoalition.eu/nieuws/17254/world-leaders-sign-for-carbon-pricing-meat-in-glasgow
Article about the Carbon Pricing Food Coalition and need for meat taxes to realise UN climate goals: https://ihsmarkit.com/research-analysis/should-unsustainable-food-be-taxed.htm
Press release Dr. Agnes Kalibata: https://www.un.org/en/food-systems-summit/news/un-special-envoy-calls-focus-food-next-climate-talks-limit-global-heating-an
10th November, Dr, Agnes Kalibata, the UN Special Envoy for the UN Food Systems Summit, called for a focus on food at the next climate talks in Egypt, to limit global heating and prevent future famines. She warned that "millions could suffer food insecurity if climate negotiations did not address links with food and agriculture". She also referred to the Methane Pledge to include food systems into climate policies. She also referred to "the $12 trillion the world spends on the hidden cost of food". Health care costs (e.g. on obesity) or damage costs of food related GHG-emissions are not included in food prices; it this would happen, food prices at supermarkets would be doubled. True pricing food products like meat and dairy can help to internalize external costs, similar to CO2-taxes in energy systems.
Media contact
Jeroom Remmers
Founder Carbon Pricing Food Coalition https://futurefoodprice.org
Director True Animal Protein Price Coalition https://tappcoalition.eu
Tel/WhatsApp: 0031622407712
info@tappcoalitie.nl