Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city
Greenhouse gas emissions embodied in trade is a growing concern for the international community. Multiple studies have highlighted drawbacks in the territorial and production-based accounting of greenhouse gas emissions because it neglects emissions from the consumption of goods in trade. This creat...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabd45 |
| _version_ | 1797748235892162560 |
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| author | Y Y Yau B Thibodeau C Not |
| author_facet | Y Y Yau B Thibodeau C Not |
| author_sort | Y Y Yau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Greenhouse gas emissions embodied in trade is a growing concern for the international community. Multiple studies have highlighted drawbacks in the territorial and production-based accounting of greenhouse gas emissions because it neglects emissions from the consumption of goods in trade. This creates weak carbon leakage and complicates international agreements on emissions regulations. Therefore, we estimated consumption-based emissions using input-output analysis and life cycle assessment to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions hidden in meat and dairy products in Hong Kong, a city predominately reliant on imports. We found that emissions solely from meat and dairy consumption were higher than the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions using conventional production-based calculation. This implies that government reports underestimate more than half of the emissions, as 62% of emissions are embodied in international trade. The discrepancy emphasizes the need of transitioning climate targets and policy to consumption-based accounting. Furthermore, we have shown that dietary change from a meat-heavy diet to a diet in accordance with governmental nutrition guidelines could achieve a 67% reduction in livestock-related emissions, allowing Hong Kong to achieve the Paris Agreement targets for 2030. Consequently, we concluded that consumption-based accounting for greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to target the areas where emissions reduction is realistically achievable, especially for import-reliant cities like Hong Kong. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:02:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce862678b86d41baa53085631935ccfc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:02:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce862678b86d41baa53085631935ccfc2023-08-09T14:34:23ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262018-01-0113606400510.1088/1748-9326/aabd45Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant cityY Y Yau0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4692-751XB Thibodeau1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0422-2308C Not2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1386-6079Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SARDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR; Swire Institute of Marine Science, University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SARDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR; Swire Institute of Marine Science, University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong SAR; Author to whom any correspondence should be addressed.Greenhouse gas emissions embodied in trade is a growing concern for the international community. Multiple studies have highlighted drawbacks in the territorial and production-based accounting of greenhouse gas emissions because it neglects emissions from the consumption of goods in trade. This creates weak carbon leakage and complicates international agreements on emissions regulations. Therefore, we estimated consumption-based emissions using input-output analysis and life cycle assessment to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions hidden in meat and dairy products in Hong Kong, a city predominately reliant on imports. We found that emissions solely from meat and dairy consumption were higher than the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions using conventional production-based calculation. This implies that government reports underestimate more than half of the emissions, as 62% of emissions are embodied in international trade. The discrepancy emphasizes the need of transitioning climate targets and policy to consumption-based accounting. Furthermore, we have shown that dietary change from a meat-heavy diet to a diet in accordance with governmental nutrition guidelines could achieve a 67% reduction in livestock-related emissions, allowing Hong Kong to achieve the Paris Agreement targets for 2030. Consequently, we concluded that consumption-based accounting for greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to target the areas where emissions reduction is realistically achievable, especially for import-reliant cities like Hong Kong.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabd45consumption-based accountinggreenhouse gas emissionslivestockParis AgreementCOP21meat consumption |
| spellingShingle | Y Y Yau B Thibodeau C Not Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city Environmental Research Letters consumption-based accounting greenhouse gas emissions livestock Paris Agreement COP21 meat consumption |
| title | Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city |
| title_full | Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city |
| title_fullStr | Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city |
| title_short | Impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import-reliant city |
| title_sort | impact of cutting meat intake on hidden greenhouse gas emissions in an import reliant city |
| topic | consumption-based accounting greenhouse gas emissions livestock Paris Agreement COP21 meat consumption |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabd45 |
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