Decision makers increasingly recognise the importance of lifestyle changes in reaching low emission targets. How the mitigation potential of changes in mobility, dietary, housing or consumption behaviour compare to those of ambitious technological changes in terms of decarbonisation remains a key question. To evaluate the interplay of behaviour and technological changes, we make use of the European Calculator model and show that changes in behaviour may contribute more than 20% of the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions required for net-zero by 2050. Behaviour and technology-oriented scenarios are tested individually and in combination for the EU plus the UK and Switzerland. The impacts of behavioural change vary across sectors, with significant GHG emission reduction potential and broader benefits. Changes in travel behaviour limit the rising demand for electricity, natural resources and infrastructure costs from the electrification of passenger transport. Adopting a healthy diet reduces emissions substantially compared to intensifying agricultural practices, while at the same time making cropland available for conservation or bioenergy crops. The trade-offs between energy and food may be substantially alleviated when deploying technological and behavioural changes simultaneously. The results suggest that without behavioural change, the dependency of Europe on carbon removal technologies for its net-zero ambitions increases. Structural changes will be necessary to achieve full decarbonisation by 2050, yet changes in lifestyles are crucial, contributing to achieving climate targets sooner.

Pork plays a very important role in the dietary choices of consumers in many parts of the world. As an important source of animal protein and other nutrients, demand for pork is projected to rise in the near future ( OECD/FAO, 2022). Much of the projected increase is due to growing demand in Asia, and to a lesser extent in Latin America, fueled by growing income levels and population. Africa’s pork demand is also projected to rise, although from a much lower base and mainly due to population growth. In the developed world, demand is expected to remain stable. Current projections also assume normalized demand and supply conditions after recent shocks from the African Swine Fever (ASF). While rising pork demand at the global scale provides the global swine sector with further growth opportunities, it will intensify important sustainability challenges in swine production. These challenges include on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, indirect emissions related to feed production and associated land use and land use changes, and increased risk of pollutant release to soil, water, and air. In addition, supply shocks and disruptions to trade linkages can also threaten the smooth functioning of the global pork and feed markets. This paper summarizes current projections on future pork demand, characterizes factors affecting market stability, reviews the key environmental sustainability challenges, and offers perspectives on how to balance the challenges to simultaneously meet rising demand and enhance the swine sector’s environmental sustainability.