Asia must shift to alternative proteins to reach climate safety: report

ASIA’S protein supply chain cannot reach its climate goals without a significant shift towards alternative proteins, said sustainability-focused research firm Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) in a report.

ARE estimated that, at current business-as-usual conditions, meat and seafood consumption in Asia will grow 78 per cent from 2017 levels, to more than 400 million tonnes in 2050. The corresponding greenhouse gas emissions will rise by almost 90 per cent to 5.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) over the same period.

Mitigation gap

That growth rate will pose a challenge for the region to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The food, land and agriculture sector should reduce emissions by 72 per cent from base-year levels by 2050, in order to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C above pre-industrial levels, according to the Science Based Targets Initiative.