Imagine if there was a way to reduce emissions from the meat, egg and dairy sector by nearly a quarter, delivering a 2–3% reduction in total global greenhouse gases, without compromising food supplies, diets or livelihoods.
Such a solution exists. And incredibly, it receives just 0.01–0.02% of global climate finance.
The answer is better animal health, and it deserves far more attention and investment than it currently gets. For countries preparing to submit or implement their national climate strategies, integrating animal health improvements is a win-win way to reduce emissions while also climate-proofing a vital sector that underpins global food security.
For 1.3 billion people, animals are more than a food source — they are income, security, and survival. Livestock is a crucial sector for both economies and food systems, representing 40% of global agricultural output, and playing an even bigger role for developing countries. But it also has a significant environmental footprint, contributing around 12% of global greenhouse emissions.
Animal diseases drive up both direct emissions produced during feed digestion, and indirect emissions associated with the food, land, water and medicines involved in raising livestock.
Each sick animal represents wasted resources and associated emissions with no meat, dairy or eggs reaching the market. An outbreak of cattle disease affecting just 20% of a herd in a low-income country, for example, can increase emissions by an estimated 60%. Beyond emissions, animal disease is estimated to cost producers up to US$350 billion each year in lost productivity, treatment, and mortality — an avoidable cost where smart investment could make the difference.
The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) figures speak clearly to both investors and policymakers: scaling up existing animal health and husbandry practices could allow livestock to feed more than nine billion people by 2050 without adding to emissions. This evidence should reshape how climate finance frameworks value agriculture’s contribution to emissions reductions and climate justice.
Institutions including the World Bank, FAO, the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) all recognise animal health as one of the most cost-effective ways to curb emissions, estimating that animal health interventions alongside related innovations in feed and breeding could reduce emissions by 23%. Disease prevention, including vaccination, and consistent veterinary care help animals grow faster, use fewer resources, and reach market weight on time.
For countries wanting to maximise their return on climate investments, animal health improvements therefore offer the best “cost to emissions” potential of any agricultural intervention.
A new, practical step-by-step guide outlines how governments can integrate animal health into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). By linking veterinary infrastructure, data systems, and disease prevention to measurable emission outcomes, it offers policymakers and funders a clear roadmap for targeted investment that delivers the highest returns.
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This month, the COP30 climate talks offer a pivotal opportunity to integrate animal health into national climate commitments. The spotlight will be on Brazil, not only as the host, but also because of its livestock sector.
The world’s largest cattle producer can use improved animal health and management to reduce emissions from its beef sector. Studies have found that increasing vaccination coverage in Brazilian livestock has direct environmental and productivity benefits. A 40% vaccination rate is associated with a 12.8% reduction in livestock land use, while every 1% increase in beef cattle vaccination correlates with a 0.7% rise in production efficiency.
Healthier, faster-growing animals require less feed and land per kilogram of meat produced, directly lowering emissions intensity.
Animal health is a climate solution that has sat too long on the margins of climate finance. The gains already achieved through targeted programmes and interventions show what’s possible: when even limited funds are channelled into vaccines, diagnostics and veterinary services, the climate, economic and social returns far exceed the investment. No one stands to lose from healthier animals.
