A national award has recognised the Australian red meat and livestock sector’s commitment to climate sustainability.
The award was granted to the Carbon Neutral by 2030 (CN30) initiative, which is a collaborative industry effort led by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.
In the Australian Financial Review Sustainability Leaders awards, the CN30 program received the ESG Enabler special award in the agriculture category.
MLA Managing Director Jason Strong stated that CN30 is already acknowledged globally for its leadership and vision setting for the Australian red meat and livestock sector, particularly for its pursuit of innovation that aligns productivity outcomes with sustainability targets.
“CN30 build on the existing sustainability credentials of the Australian red meat industry,” Mr Strong said. “It is highly ambitious with clear targets for the industry, while also going hand-in-hand with the industry’s goal of doubling the value of red meat sales by 2030.”
According to Strong, investment in CN30 had exceeded $140 million since 2017, when the industry took the lead by starting on the CN30 journey.
The industry has already made progress towards the goal. For example, according to the most recent data as of 2020, the Australian beef sector has reduced its net carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 64.9% from the 2005 baseline.
Strong said the CN30 program acknowledges that the path to carbon neutrality provides opportunities for red meat producers.
“On-farm changes that result in a reduction in net emissions often create co-benefits such as increased productivity and profitability, long term business sustainability, improved biodiversity and other ecosystem service values. These co-benefits converge to build enduring prosperity for red meat industry stakeholders,” Strong stated.
He added, “This award is a strong acknowledgement of progress to date and another clear message that the Australian livestock sector is deliver positive environmental outcomes.”
