SUSTAINABILITY FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2024 59 Industry (21%) 14.5% Agr�culture Transport (14%) Buildings (6.4%) Cow (9.4%) Cow burps (3.7%) Pig (1.3%) Buffalo (1.2%) Chicken (1.2%) Small ruminant (0.9%) Other poultry & non-edible products (0.6%) Electricity & heat production (25%) Forestry & other land use (9.6%) Other energy (9.6%) IT IS CRUCIAL TO ADDRESS COW METHANE TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTIVELY Methane from cows contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Estimates vary between sources, but according to FAO, 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emission is related to farming (see Figure 3). In the US, livestock, including cattle, are responsible for about 35% of anthropogenic methane emissions in the US. 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 Cumulative emissions (Mt CO2-we) Estimated warming since 1990 (mK) Cumulat�ve CH4 and N 2O em�ss�ons �n warm�ng-equ�valent un�ts from US da�ry cattle (50% reduct�on then 1% pa decl�ne) Cumulative N2O CO2 - we emissions (MtCO2 -we) Cumulative CH4 CO2 - we emissions (MtCO2 -we) secondary y axis: Temperature change estimate since 1990 (mK) 250 2000 2000 2000 2030 2040 2040 1990 200 150 100 50 0 -50 -100 125 100 75 50 25 0 -25 -50 Cumulative total CO2 - we emissions (MtCO2 -we) Figure 2. Cumulative cow methane emissions and N2O emissions in warming equivalent units from US dairy cattle. Levels in 2040 are presented, in case a reduction of cow methane of 50% by 2030, followed by an annual reduction of 1% methane from cows would be achieved. - Source: Kebreab, 2023 Figure 3. Methane emission of livestock, split between cattle methane emissions from dairy cows, cattle methane emissions from beef and methane produced by pork. For each of these three species, the split between enteric methane emission and emission from manure is given. Source: Bailey et al., 2014
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