Producers beef up progress towards carbon neutrality

The figures from 2021 are the latest from the Australian National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and show net greenhouse gas emissions from the sector were 31 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

"These figures show tremendous progress towards CN30," Meat & Livestock Australia's Julia Waite said.

CN30 is the red meat industry's target of being carbon neutral by 2030, which means making no net release of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

But Ms Waite said the reduction in direct emissions by the sector are lower than they should be, sitting at around 10 per cent.

"We recognise there is a wider expectation around direct emissions."

While the report attributes the big reductions in emissions to less clearing of forest and sparse woody vegetation, and an increase in vegetation growth and carbon storage.

And there is a warning that progress will slow.

"The reduction due to sequestration won't increase as strongly year on year," Ms Waite said.

“The contribution from land use change was particularly significant between 2020 and 2021 due to high rainfall ... and conditions favourable for vegetation growth."

With 80 per cent of the red meat sector's emissions produced by methane, MLA is continuing to look to genetics, as well as food additives to reduce methane.

"That's a key focus, additives, and how we deliver those to livestock in grazing systems, looking at lick blocks, looking at water trough delivery," Ms Waite said.

But University of Melbourne's Richard Eckard, who has advised governments on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across agriculture, said the difficult times were ahead.

"The hard bit is still to come," Professor Eckard, who had an early look at the report, said.

"The easy wins have been taken, the easy wins are land use change and soil carbon."

And he warned that for farmers seeking to reduce their emissions, there is still a lack of technology available.

"If you're a farmer on the ground, they're not ready just yet."