New report highlights emissions challenge for Australian cotton
The Australian cotton industry is now using 52% less water compared to 25 years ago, and is the cause of 91% less harm to bees and 66% less damage to algae compared to 20 years ago.
This progress features in a 2022 Sustainability Update report, which industry promotional body Cotton Australia published on July 10. The report also shows an increase in the proportion of women and people from an indigenous background among the cotton industry’s workers in Australia compared to figures for 2016.
On the down side, the new report shows a decrease in yield and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 2021 and 2022.
“We have more to do in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Cotton Australia chief executive, Adam Kay. “Since becoming the first Australian agricultural industry to independently assess its environmental impacts in 1991, the Australian cotton industry is proud of long positive trends in many areas but also knows it needs to keep looking at ways to improve.”
