Published
New ZealandRanchers were stymied by taxes on cattle carts and burbs
New Zealand wants to set world’s first tax on methane and nitrous oxide emissions Dissatisfaction of farmers.
Cows produce methane and are therefore a source of pollution.
AFP
A controversial plan by the New Zealand government Taxation of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock Despite many changes, it still hasn’t crossed over with breeders. New Zealand wants to set the world’s first tax on methane and nitrous oxide emissions to limit the environmental footprint of its six million cows and 26 million sheep.
Methane is less abundant and does not stay in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, but it is a very powerful factor in climate change. This chemical compound is responsible for about 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution, scientists estimate, although it accounts for only a fraction of the greenhouse gas composition.
The first version of the plan, which required farmers to pay according to their animals’ emissions, sent New Zealand’s farming community into a frenzy and sparked protests in late October. Farmers simply asked Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to drop the tax, pointing to the risk of rising food prices.
“Helping Farmers Export More”
One of the changes the government made on Wednesday included the possibility of offsetting the carbon emissions of animals by afforestation on farms, using a lower tax. “Our common goal is to help farmers export more, reduce their emissions and ensure our agricultural sector remains internationally competitive,” Jacinda Ardern said in a statement.
“Only New Zealand is choosing a punitive response,” criticized New Zealand Farmers Federation president Andrew Hogarth in a statement, saying agricultural production was an “inefficient” and “unprofitable” sector. subsidy”. He also accused the government of making “vague promises” despite Jacinda Ardern wanting to put in place “a sustainable system of emissions reductions”.
Methane from burps and farts
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), methane, which is associated with salivary and digestive gases, represents nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. This methane production by cows stems from the activity of their digestive system, capable of converting grass into food.
(AFP)
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