• Denmark has announced to tax livestock farmers for greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from the year 2030. Denmark has become the first country in the world to do so.
• The move targets a major source of methane emissions, one of the most potent gases contributing to global warming.

Key Points

• Denmark aims to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by the year 2030.
• By the year 2030, Danish livestock farmers will be taxed 300 kroner ($43) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. By 2035, this tax will rise to 750 kroner ($108).
• According to Statistic Denmark, as of June 30, 2022, there were 1,484,377 cows in the Scandinavian country, a slight decline from the previous year.
• It is worth noting that a normal Danish cow produces the equivalent of 6 metric tons (6.6 tons) of CO2 per year. In such a situation, this step of Denmark can prove to be helpful in reducing global climate change.
• However, till now carbon dioxide is generally considered responsible for climate change. As a result, efforts have been made to reduce its emission. But now the focus of various countries has increased on methane.

Methane emissions

• Methane levels emitted from sources including landfills, oil and natural gas systems and livestock have risen particularly sharply since 2020.
• The United Nations Environment Programme says livestock accounts for about 32% of human-caused methane emissions.

About Methane

• Methane is a simple hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4). It is used as a fuel worldwide.
• It is also a potent greenhouse gas. It has been 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in increasing global temperature during the last 20 years.

Sources of Methane

1. Oil and natural gas systems

2. Agricultural activities (rice fields)

3. Coal mining and

4. Wetlands

5. Animal husbandry (ruminant animals)

6. Termite mounds etc.

7. Landfills and waste water treatment plants

8. Fertilizer factories and other industrial processes

Effects

1.Greater global warming potential

2.Promotes the production of tropospheric ozone

Efforts to reduce methane emissions

India’s efforts

1. Development of anti-methanogenic feed supplement ‘Harit Dhara’

2. India Greenhouse Gas Programme

3. National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)

4. Bharat Stage-VI norms

Global efforts

1. Methane Alert and Response System (MARS)

2. Global Methane Pledge

3. Global Methane Initiative

4. MethaneSAT

Measures to reduce methane emissions

1. Methane-capturing technologies: By implementing methane capture technologies in livestock operations and landfills, methane can be captured before it is released into the atmosphere.

2. Biogas production: Renewable energy source and mitigation of methane

3. Rice cultivation technologies: By promoting practices such as rice intensification systems and direct seeded rice, methane emissions from rice fields can be reduced.

4. Improved agricultural practices:Promotion of sustainable agricultural practices

Important Exam Facts

United Nations Environment Programme

• Founded: 5 June 1972
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
• Function: Supports global environmental protection.
• Major reports: Emissions Gap Report, Global Environmental Outlook

Denmark

• Scandinavian Country
• Capital: Copenhagen
• Currency: Danish Krone
• Prime Minister: Mette Frederiksen