Denmark agreed to help farmers use a feed additive expected to reduce emissions of methane from cattle with up to 30%. This is part of efforts to achieve ambitious climate goals, the government said, as quoted by Reuters.
Denmark, a major dairy exporter, could become the first country in the world to put a price on agricultural emissions, including methane emissions from burping cows, a move that has broad political support.
Methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, is a natural byproduct of digestion in cows and other ruminants, which is released into the atmosphere. The Scandinavian country has committed to cutting emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. More than half of Denmark’s land is arable, with agriculture accounting for about a third of the country’s carbon emissions.
Agriculture is not yet subject to any climate regulations, but the industry has expressed concerns that a carbon tax would force them to cut production and close farms. Instead, farmers and the dairy industry are advocating the use of additives that stop the fermentation process in cows’ stomachs, preventing methane production.
The government has set aside 518 million Danish kroner ($74 million) to finance the feed additive, which is expected to reduce methane emissions from the country’s roughly 550,000 dairy cows by 30 percent in 2030.
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