New Zealand has a plan for reduce methane emissions: tax the burps of sheep and cattle. An initiative that, in a country that is home to just over 5 million inhabitants and over 10 million cows and 26 sheep, could reach the goal of lower total greenhouse gas emissions, half of which comes from agriculture, mainly methane. To explain the plan of the premier Jacinda Ardern and the Bbc. As she explained New Zealand Minister for Climate Change James Shaw“There is no doubt that we need to reduce the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere and an effective system of pricing emissions for agriculture will play a fundamental role in how we achieve this goal.”
The proposal
Beginning in 2025, burping taxes will be paid by the farmers. The plan also includes incentives for farmers to reduce emissions through feed additives, while planting trees on farms could be used to offset emissions. Last month, New Zealand’s finance minister pledged NZ $ 2.9bn (£ 1.5bn; $ 1.9bn) to initiatives to tackle climate change, which would be funded by a system of emissions trading which taxed polluters. Meanwhile, investors managing $ 14 trillion in assets have urged the United Nations to create a global plan to make the agricultural sector sustainable.
How is methane released?
Methane (CH4) is the main component of natural gas (fossil gas) and biomethane (gas produced from agricultural waste). Operations in the oil and coal sector they release large quantities of methane. This substance is produced by the fluxuries of waste, particularly from open landfills, and agriculture. Significant amounts of background methane emissions are also generated by swamps and animals.
If for oil, gas and coal the reduction can be achieved relatively quickly, so it is not for agriculture as meat is an important component of our diet. Livestock remains a major source of methane. Even if cows, pigs or other farm animals are small in size and produce only small amounts of methane, the combined effect of the agricultural sector is considerable. In 2019, methane in the atmosphere reached record levels, about two and a half times higher than those of the pre-industrial era. What worries scientists is that over a 100-year period, methane is 28-34 times hotter than CO2.