Locating livestock in Net Zero agriculture at the University of Edinburgh

Supervisors: Professor Dominic Moran and Dr Rafael Silva

Closing Date:  5th January 2022

The world needs to get on a 1.5 ºC  pathway and all sectors of the economy need to play a role. Net zero is the current rhetorical goal for reducing (or mitigating) GHG emissions.  Livestock mitigation measures are mostly known and their technical potential has been suggested in analysis for the UK Committee on Climate change (2020).  But there is a difference between the (theoretical) technical potential  - i.e. what could be possible and a feasible potential.  The latter will be determined by economic, behavioural and political barriers that need to be examined and overcome.   

This project will examine pathways to net zero and how these barriers are impeding the adoption of innovative mitigation measures on the livestock sector.

The research will critically engage with existing net zero plans recently developed by key stakeholders (e.g. NFU, AHDB), and narratives around a just transition towards an “optimal” livestock future.  The analysis will include the environmental and social costs and benefits of livestock production and consumption with a view to conceptualising alternative definitions of optimality.   It will finally consider the likely governance architectures necessary to regulate the transition nationally and globally. 

Key research objectives

1. Defining net zero livestock

1. Stakeholder workshops to examine what is actually happening with the current CCC budget? Are we making progress, who has a strategy for net zero and do they all add up consistently?
   

1. Sector stakeholder Delphi workshops to refocus on priority MACC production and consumption measures  - what progress are we making including under  GWP versus GWP* scenarios?

1. Focused work on gaps in evidence on above and e.g.  general equilibrium modelling and co-effects (biodiversity and health)

1. Innovative policy versus mark-based approaches to finance sector pathways

1. Defining a just approach to sector mitigation burden sharing. 

References

CCC. The Sixth Carbon Budget. London: Climate Change Committee (CCC), 2020

Moran, D., Macleod, M., Wall, E., Eory, V., McVittie, A., Barnes, A., Rees, R., Topp, C.F.E. and Moxey, A. (2011), Marginal Abatement Cost Curves for UK Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 62:

93-118. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1477-9552.2010.00268.x

Funding information and application procedures

We would encourage applicants to list up to three projects of interest (ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice) from those listed with a closing date of 5th January 2022 at https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin/work-study/opportunities/studentships 

This opportunity is open to UK and international students and provides funding to cover stipend, tuition fees and consumable/travel costs.  Applications including a statement of interest and full CV with names and addresses (including email addresses) of two academic referees, should be emailed to [email protected].

When applying for the studentship please state clearly the project title/s and the supervisor/s in your covering letter.

A webinar will be held on Tuesday 14th December at 13.00hrs (UK time) to assist you in the application process and tell you a little more about studying for a PhD with us.  It will also give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have.  If interested in joining us please send your name and email address to [email protected]by Friday 10th December and we will send you a link to the on line meeting

ALL APPLICATION PROCEDURES MUST BE COMPLETED BY THE CLOSING DATE 5th JANUARY 2022