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To many, kangaroos are seen as pests or vermin interfering with livestock and crop production.  The Australian government lays down a quota of kangaroos that can be "harvested" in a year - in 2007 this figure stood at 3,610,271.  The point about eat kangaroo meat however was made in the context of cutting down on the production of beef.

The report says:
"The second agriculture measure, a 20 percent reduction in beef production from 1990 levels for a 15 Mt emissions reduction, is more politically challenging. Beef production is chosen in this measure because it is responsible for the biggest share of livestock-related methane emissions. This measure could be accomplished by shifting to kangaroo meat and/or lower-meat diets."

The report, "Paths to a Low-Carbon Future", by Dr Mark Diesendorf from the University of New South Wales, found that a 33 percent cut in Australia's emissions by 2020 is possible through the use of proven technologies, such as solar energy, and measures such as halting land clearing and deforestation.

"The world is currently on track to experience runaway global warming with average temperatures soon to exceed 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels," Dr Diesendorf said.

"We face a catastrophe unless there is urgent action to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30 percent by 2020. This short term target is essential if Australia is to play its part in setting the planet on a path to prevent dangerous climate change," Greenpeace Energy Campaigner Mark Wakeham said.

Dr Diesendorf formulated two scenarios to reduce Australia's greenhouse emissions. The most effective scenario succeeds in reducing Australia's emissions to 33 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

The largest reductions are possible through:

• Improving the efficiency of energy use and increasing its application in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors;
• Renewable sources of electricity, especially wind power and bioelectricity from the residues of existing crops and plantation forests;
• Cutting fugitive emissions from gas and coal production;
• Removing subsidies on electricity for aluminium smelting and requiring the industry to participate in carbon pricing;
• Reducing beef consumption and increasing kangaroo meat production;
• Halting land clearing and deforestation

Dr Diesendorf said that beyond 2020 it will be critical to level off the growth in demand for energy if the dangerous 2-degree temperature increase is to be avoided.
"This is possible, but only with a wide range of concerted actions in the energy, industry and land-use sectors, of which improving energy efficiency is the key."