SUSTAINABILITY 58 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2024 “The greenhouse gas effect of cow methane is 27 times bigger than the greenhouse gas effect of carbon dioxide. Therefore, methane from cows, despite being emitted in smaller quantities compared to carbon dioxide, has a more potent warming effect. For this reason, it is crucial to address cattle methane emissions to combat climate change effectively.” IS CLIMATE NEUTRALITY BY 2050 STILL A REALISTIC TARGET? Planet boundaries for phosphorus and biodiversity are at risk. They are the 2 the planet boundaries for which we are beyond the zone of uncertainty. For greenhouse gas emissions we are still in the zone of uncertainty, which means we need to intensify our efforts to achieve reductions of cow methane emissions (see Figure 1). THE GLOBAL METHANE PLEDGE: A PATH TO CLIMATE NEUTRALITY BY 2050 The Global Methane Pledge has been signed by over 150 countries. The goal that has been agreed is to reach climate neutrality by 2050. To reach this goal, a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 50% by 2030 is required, followed by an annual reduction of 1%. Of all greenhouse gasses, methane is the most relevant target. The effect of reduction of methane will however be partly offset if we don’t reduce nitrous oxide at the same time (see Figure 2). THE IMPACT OF COW METHANE ON CLIMATE CHANGE Jac Bergman Portfolio Manager Ruminants Selko Biosphere integrity E/MSY BII Cropland use Freshwater use Application Ocean acidification ? ? ? ? Atmospheric aerosol loading Statospheric ozone depletion Novel entities Greenhouse gas emissions P N Beyond zone of uncertainty (high risk) In zone of uncertainty (increasing risk) Below boundary (safe) Food boundary not yet quantified Figure 1. Planet boundaries for different parameters with an environmental impact. For greenhouse gas emissions we are still in the zone of uncertainty, but reductions of methane from cows are required. - Source: Rockstrom et al., 2020
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==