The Climate Investment Case for the Livestock Sector

Wheelhouse, N; Bisson, A; Chamberlin, R; Wisser, D; MacLeod, M

Abstract

Key Messages
• Livestock are vital for nutrition, food security, and livelihoods in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), but climate change threatens these benefits.
• The livestock sector also presents an environmental challenge, contributing an estimated 12% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• With increasing global demand for animal products, there is likely to be an increase in the GHG footprint of the livestock sector.
• Sustainably increasing livestock productivity is crucial to balance livelihood support and emissions reduction goals.
• Investing in livestock can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while alleviating poverty, improving nutrition, and building climate resilience.
• Additional measures, supported by investments, are needed to abate emissions and increase carbon capture.
• Climate finance could support the shift towards sustainability, but investments to date have been limited.
• The brief identifies several barriers facing financing institutions wishing to invest in livestock and sets out potential solutions.
• There is a narrowing window to shape the nature of the sector’s growth and therefore its environmental impact in emerging markets.
• Strategic sector investments are needed to target high-quality growth, reduce emissions, and address climate impacts on the livestock sector.

Citation

Wheelhouse, N., Bisson, A., Chamberlin, R., Wisser, D., & MacLeod, M. (2024). The Climate Investment Case for the Livestock Sector. Global Research Alliance on Greenhouse Gases

• Report Type: Policy Document
• Online Publication Date: Sep 4, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Sep 6, 2024
• Keywords: Environment Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Publisher URL: https://livestockdata.org/publications/climate-investment-case-livestock-sector