Cut meat consumption to close emissions gap - research

LONDON (Reuters) - Cutting meat consumption to the level recommended by health bodies could generate a quarter of the remaining emissions reductions needed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, a report said ahead of a global climate conference starting in Paris on Monday. The livestock sector is responsible for 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, through cows producing methane and production processes. Excessive meat consumption also has health risks but governments are afraid to court unpopularity by interfering in lifestyle choices. However, the Chatham House report said measures to make meat more expensive, such as a carbon tax, would face less resistance as people understood the reasons behind it. (Reporting by Nina Chestney; Editing by Kevin Liffey)