Meat Industry Body Retreats From Net Zero by 2030 Target

Meat and Livestock Australia says it now realises the difficulties of committing to net zero by 2030.

This picture taken on Oct. 29, 2024, shows cattle in a paddock on a property located near the north-central New South Wales town of Gunnedah. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

Industry body Meat and Livestock Australia (MAL) has veered away from a previous commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2030.

Announcing the decision as part of its Strategic Plan 2030, MAL said it would now commit to “contributing to Australia’s net zero ambitions” as per the Australian government’s 2050 goals.

“Reaching CN30 (carbon neutral by 2030) was dependent on the right levels of investment and policy settings, we now know we need more time, more support, and more investment to reach our goal,” MAL Managing Director Michael Crowley said in a statement.

Crowley said the industry had a long history of supporting green initiatives.

“The red meat industry set its CN30 goal in 2017 before the government had established its climate goals,” he said.

“It drove investments of more than $100 million into sustainability projects.

“Our research, innovation and investment has paid dividends, and we won’t be slowing down. With the backing of our red meat industry bodies, MAL will continue our focus on reducing emissions and reducing emissions intensity per kilogram of production.”

According to a study conducted by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CISRO), Australia’s red meat industry has cut emissions by almost 78 percent against the 2005 baseline.

Crowley says switching from a hard net zero target to what he termed “positivity-led sustainability” will ensure the growth of cattle while also ensuring the wellbeing of the environment.

MAL says it will invest in practical science-based solutions.

“We will continue to invest in carbon storage and emissions avoidance initiatives,” Crowley said.

Targets Relaxing

The organisation is not the first to drop hard net zero targets in recent weeks.

In June, Queensland’s Liberal National Party (LNP) announced it would relax net zero targets in favour of a more balanced approach.

That was off the back of the party announcing it would axe the previous Labor government’s mandate to replace all government-owned passenger vehicles with zero emission alternatives by 2026, preferring a more holistic approach.

Last year, University of Melbourne Professor Michael Brear told a parliamentary inquiry that it was unclear who could pay for the volume of renewable investment needed.

“The plan hasn’t yet stated how it will address the need for hundreds to thousands of billions of additional investment,” Brear said.