ACAI Pre-COP29 Round Table Discussion
On November 7, our African partner organisation Africa Climate Action Initiative will hold a pre-COP29 Round Table discussion in Ghana on the pricing of GHG emissions from the agri-food sector of OECD countries and China. Jeroom Remmers, director of TAPP Coalition, will be one of the (online) speakers. The full programme and more background information can be found here.
The round table will begin with a welcome address by the ACAI Executive Director, opening remarks by key representatives including the Honourable Minister of Environment of Ghana and high-level participants from the EU, AU and/or UNEP Ghana office. Keynote presentations will follow, focusing on the environmental and social costs of meat consumption and the global urgency to address these issues in climate policies.
A moderated roundtable will bring together representatives from the Ghanaian government, international climate experts and NGOs to discuss the possibility of integrating real meat pricing or taxation policies into the climate strategies of OECD countries and China, by sharing scientific data on meat consumption, particularly from OECD countries.
Participants will be divided into small groups to brainstorm concrete strategies for integrating real meat pricing into climate finance and policy frameworks. Their findings and recommendations will be compiled and synthesised into a draft proposal for a real meat pricing policy that will be shared with policy makers in OECD countries, including for the COP29 discussions.
TAPP/ACAI objectives
The TAPP/ACAI Coalition aims to raise awareness among Ghanaian policy makers, the EU, AU, environmental NGOs in Ghana, the OECD, ECOWAS and UNEP office in Ghana on the environmental implications of current levels of meat consumption (high environmental and social costs per kg of meat) and to stimulate the integration of genuine meat pricing or tax policies into the climate change mitigation and climate finance strategies of OECD countries and China.
We do this by:
1. Raising awareness of the environmental impacts of meat consumption:
Raise awareness among Ghanaian policy makers, the EU, AU, OECD, ECOWAS and UNEP Ghana office on the high environmental and social costs per kilogram of meat, including its contribution to deforestation, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water depletion and biodiversity loss.
2. Promoting the integration of real meat pricing into climate policy:
Stimulate discussions on integrating real meat pricing or fiscal policies into global climate change mitigation strategies, with the aim of reflecting the true environmental costs associated with meat production and consumption.
3. Encouraging political action and collaboration:
Mobilise stakeholders to support the inclusion of real meat pricing mechanisms in national and international climate finance strategies. This will serve as a tool to promote sustainable food systems and contribute to climate resilience in Africa and globally.
4. Promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships:
Encourage collaboration between environmental NGOs, government officials, international organisations and the private sector to lobby for policies that support reduced meat consumption in climate action plans, building on best practices from the OECD and developing countries.