Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 1 — Meta-analysis / systematic reviewPeer-reviewed

Greenhouse gas mitigation potentials in the livestock sector

Mario Herrero, B. Henderson, Peter Havlík, Philip K. Thornton, Richard T. Conant, Pete Smith, Stefan Wirsenius, A.N. Hristov, Pierre Gerber, M. Gill, Klaus Butterbach‐Bahl, Hugo Valin, Tara Garnett, Elke Stehfest

Nature Climate Change · 2016

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Summary

This Nature Climate Change paper, authored by a prominent consortium of agricultural and climate scientists, presents a comprehensive assessment of the greenhouse gas mitigation potential within the global livestock sector. The authors likely synthesize evidence on available technological, management and dietary interventions to reduce emissions from ruminant and monogastric systems, estimating the scale of achievable reductions and their feasibility across different production contexts. The work appears positioned as a major evidence synthesis informing climate mitigation policy in agriculture.

UK applicability

The findings are directly relevant to UK livestock farming and climate policy, particularly in informing the Climate Change Committee's sector-based emissions targets and the Agricultural Transition Plan. UK dairy and beef systems, as well as intensive poultry and pig production, would benefit from application of the identified mitigation measures.

Key measures

Greenhouse gas emissions reductions (likely in CO₂-equivalent); mitigation potential by intervention type; cost-effectiveness of mitigation strategies; sector-wide abatement scenarios

Outcomes reported

The study assessed mitigation potentials for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector through various technological, management and structural interventions. It synthesized evidence on the scale and feasibility of emissions reductions achievable across different livestock production systems and regions.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Systematic Review
Study design
Systematic review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Intensive livestock
DOI
10.1038/nclimate2925
Catalogue ID
BFmor3g9dg-x2gbwt

Topic tags

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