UNEP 2010 Jun report Summary

In Jun 2010, UNEP (UN Environment Program) published a report
““Accessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production:
Priority, Product and Materials”. The report studies how our
consumption patterns impacts the Environment.

The UN panel gathered many scientists to provide science-based
assessments of how products, materials and economic and lifestyle
activities, impacts the planet. It is the first global assessment to
determine which type of consumption activities have the biggest impact
on the environment.

The purpose of this U.N. Environment Programme-sponsored study was to
identify the "hot spots" in terms of environmental impacts so that
policy makers can use this information to reform policies
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Summary of UNEP Jun 2010 report:
· Two broad areas are currently having a disproportionately
high impact on people and the planet's life support systems-these are
1) Energy in the form of fossil fuels and 2) Agriculture, especially
the raising of livestock for meat and dairy products.

· A doubling of wealth leads to a 60% to 80% increase in CO2
emissions. (In emerging economies, increase in CO2 emissions are even
higher.)

· Rising affluence had triggered a shift in diets towards meat
and dairy products- livestock now consumes much of the world's crops
and by inference a great deal of freshwater, fertilizers and
pesticides linked with that crop production in the first place

· Agricultural goods, particularly products from animals,
which are fed more than half of all world crops, have a huge impact on
the planet. Agricultural production accounts for 70% of the global
freshwater consumption and 38% of the total land use. Food production
accounts for 19% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 60% of
the phosphorus and nitrogen pollution and 30% of toxic pollution in
Europe

· In most countries, household consumption, over the life
cycle of the products and services, accounts for more than 60% of all
impacts of consumption.

The report recommends the following:
· “Decoupling growth from environmental degradation is the
number one challenge facing governments. “ However, the report shows
that this decoupling is not happening, and it will not happen in the
future without strong policy interventions.

· “A Substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible
with a substantial worldwide diet change away from animal products.”
The report calls for a significant shift in diets away from animal
based proteins towards more vegetable-based foods in order to
dramatically reduce pressures on the environment.
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The following is a youtube video on the UNEP report:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB3kfaomWs0

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News article on the UN Report:
The Guardian: UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

The Telegraph: Eat less meat to save the planet - UN
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/7797594/Eat-less-meat-to-save-the-planet-UN.html

More info can be found in the following websites:
http://www.stwr.org/climate-change-environment/the-environmental-impacts-of-consumption-and-production.html

UNEP “Accessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and
Production: Priority, Product and Materials”Full report (112 pgs) :
1. http://www.unep.fr/scp/publications/details.asp?id=DTI/1262/PA
2. http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx1262xPA-PriorityProductsAndMaterials_Report.pdf
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The report shows that globally, we (as consumers) should adopt a diet
change, away from animal products, to reduce our impact on the
environment.

Perhaps, we can start by adopting meatless days to help the planet:
www.veggiethursday.sg
http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/

Let’s do all we can to help the planet.