Research
Animal-sourced food consumption and Canada’s emissions targets
August, 2022
Summary
This analysis, conducted for World Animal Protection Canada, examines the role of animal agriculture in achieving Canada’s emissions targets of a 40-45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Using a customized version of Navius’ energy-economy model, gTech, three scenarios were examined in which Canada achieves its emissions targets, each with different levels of future animal food consumption. Results highlight the impact of shifting food consumption preferences on Canada’s emissions and on the cost of achieving Canada’s emissions targets.
Highlights:
- If food consumption shifts away from animal-based foods towards plant-based alternatives, this reduces emissions from the agriculture sector and contributes towards achievement of Canada’s emissions targets.
- If future animal consumption is low, the resulting reduction in emissions could be enough, in combination with the implementation of ERP policies, to allow Canada to achieve it’s 2030 emissions target.
- Shifting towards less emissions intensive forms of agriculture can reduce policy compliance costs for the agriculture sector and reduce the cost of Canada achieving its climate targets, while maintaining economic growth.
Click above to download our technical report.
Click above to view an article on Cision featuring the report.
This study was commissioned and funded by World Animal Protection.
To learn more about this research, please contact Brianne Riehl.
Other Research
2023
2022
Damage Control: Reducing the costs of climate impacts in Canada
Animal-sourced food consumption and Canada’s emissions targets
Simulating Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan
Potential of small modular reactors in hard-to-decarbonize industries
Hitting Canada’s climate targets with biogas & RNG
Under Water: The costs of climate change for Canada’s infrastructure
2021
Informing a strategy for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia
The role of carbon capture and storage in Canada’s net zero future
Canada’s clean energy economy to 2030
Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations explanation and insights
Towards Canada’s fair share: New modeling and analysis on achieving a stronger climate target
Assessing the impacts of the Conservative Plan to Combat Climate Change
2020
2019
Meeting Canada’s climate mitigation commitments under the Paris Agreement
Quantifying Canada’s clean energy economy
California and Québec’s ZEV mandates description
Reversing carbon leakage in the Canadian aluminum sector
Supporting the development of CleanBC
Saskatchewan’s carbon tax numbers are in and the answer is … reporting errors
Older
Review of British Columbia’s RLCFRR energy effectiveness ratios
Refining margins and fuel policy in British Columbia
Analysis of the proposed Canadian Clean Fuel Standard
Electrification best practices in Canada
A review of ECCC’s method for estimating upstream GHGs
Refining margins in British Columbia
Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the Energy East pipeline project
The Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirement Regulation
How do industrial GHG reduction efforts affect demand for skilled labour?
Is British Columbia’s carbon tax good for household income?
How resilient are the Canadian oil sands to carbon constraints?