Listening to BBC Farming Today this morning gave us cause for optimism as the new Interim Chair of the Climate Change Committee, Professor Piers Forster, described a how new advice due out in February is set to revise previous livestock reduction targets.

The existing advice from the Committee is that meat consumption should reduce 20 percent by 2030 and 35 percent by 2050. However, in light of new technologies, better scientific evidence and farming innovations, this looks like it will be reviewed down. While he couldn’t reveal the numbers, Professor Forster did say “we’re going to completely revisit those estimates…because the evidence has changed.”

He admitted that on the net zero journey “we do not have all the answers currently.” But new evidence on genetics, animal feed and other break-throughs in reducing ruminant emissions suggests that the equation is changing. We will still have to reduce our consumption, but not by as much as originally advised.

As interim Chair and as a farmer himself, Professor Forster is also determined to recognise that farmers need to make a living, and that the Committee’s advice needs to account for this too. He also said: “I’m really keen that famers have good data to work with.” As we know, this is crucial for any system of measurement that is to underpin government policy and net zero mandates.

Also encouraging is his willingness to consult with farmers to get first-hand accounts of the technicalities and challenges of reaching our net-zero goal. Through their newly created farming advisory group farmers are able to feed-in concerns. We await February’s report with keen interest.

Listen (from 9:37 minutes)