Global heating on the up – still no mention of animal agriculture
Scientists now fear we have missed the opportunity to limit global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the target agreed by countries in Paris in 2015. According to this latest study, human activities have already increased average global temperatures by close to 1.3°C, with 2024 likely to be the first year that average temperatures surpass 1.5°C of warming. This study says we need to be prepared for the possibility of an overshoot but suggests warming can be held below 2°C if governments continue to improve their “institutional capacities and green technology” that can be rolled out rapidly. Sadly, again, there is no mention of the cow in the room – animal agriculture!
Bertram C, Brutschin E, Drouet L et al. 2024. Feasibility of peak temperature targets in light of institutional constraints. Nature Climate Change. 14, 954-960.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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