Red meat 10% of greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from red meat production in Australia – cattle, sheep and goats – dropped 65% between 2005 and 2020, according to a CSIRO report.

The scope includes livestock production as well as processing that occurred within Australia.

These emissions represented 10.3% of national GHG emissions in 2020.

More than 90% of red meat industry emissions were associated with grazing and land management.

Feedlot production contributed 5.8% and processing another 2.1%.

The production and processing of beef cattle contributed most of the emissions (88.2%).

Sheep and goats contributed 11.6% and 0.15% respectively.

Jason Strong, managing director of Meat & Livestock Australia which co-released the report, says the drop in 2020 compared to 2019 was partly explained by reductions in livestock numbers following the years of drought leading into 2020.

PHOTO: Cattle auction in Alice Springs. This year's Show Sale will be held from 9am on Thursday at the Bohning Stock Yards. UPDATE July 4: The sale has been postponed till August because rain has made roads partly impassible.