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New Zealand sheep and beef almost carbon neutral

 Last year, on a vote of 119 to one, the New Zealand legislature  passed legislation committing to carbon neutrality by 2050. The bill, known as The Zero Carbon bill, creates a framework for getting to zero.


"We have to start moving beyond targets. We have to start moving beyond aspiration. We have to start moving beyond statements of hope and deliver signs of action. That is what this government is doing and proudly so,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.


Part of that frame work involves reducing agricultural emissions. 


A study, released in October of 2020, reports that a significant portion of New Zealand agriculture is either nearly carbon neutral or, possibly, carbon neutral.


The study, led by Dr Bradley Case at Auckland University of Technology, estimates the woody vegetation on New Zealand sheep and beef farms is offsetting between 63 percent and 118 percent of their on-farm agricultural emissions.


These findings also demonstrate that the Green House Gas emissions from the beef and sheep industry in the country have declined by more than thirty percent in the last thirty years.


“Total annual on-farm agricultural emissions for sheep and beef production are +16,537 kt CO2e1, based on official governmental  figures,” write the study authors. “The woody vegetation on sheep and beef farms has annual equivalent GHG sequestration of between -10,394 kt CO2e and -19,665 kt CO2e.”


The authors point out that their study does not take into account soil carbon that may be being sequestered on beef and sheep farms. Neither does it look at the country’s other livestock production, such as dairy.


“This is a very significant report for the sheep and beef sector but further than that it is potentially a game changer for New Zealand’s quest to be carbon neutral by 2050,” the authors write in their summary. “The implications of this report are significant, both for continuing to build understanding of the overall greenhouse gas contribution of the sheep and beef sector, but also for farmers getting recognition for the sequestration happening on their farms.”


The full report can be read via this Tiny url: https://tinyurl.com/y2arp3z3


Tim

Central Minnesota Political


Comments

  1. Bruce ParkerNovember 30, 2020 at 10:46 AM

    This is interesting if true. I suspect that ruminant neutrality is more difficult than other animals. This reported neutrality may [not?] extend to beef / lamb exported to the US. Hopefully, a lesson for US beef producers.
    Bruce Parker

    ReplyDelete

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