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Denmark plans world's first emissions tax on livestock
Denmark will introduce the world's first emissions tax on livestock, aiming to cut greenhouse gases from cows, pigs, and sheep starting in 2030.
In short:
- Starting in 2030, farmers will pay about $43 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent produced by livestock, rising to $108 in 2035, with partial tax deductions.
- The tax aims to reduce Denmark's emissions by 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030.
- The bill includes creating over 600,000 acres of new forests and supports the agriculture sector’s green transition.
Key quote:
"We will be the first country in the world to introduce a real [carbon dioxide equivalent tax] on agriculture."
— Jeppe Bruus, Danish Tax Minister in a statement.
Why this matters:
Methane, produced through digestion in ruminant animals like cows and sheep, has a much higher heat-trapping ability than carbon dioxide on the short term, making livestock farming a critical area for climate action. In fact, the sector represents between 14 to 19% of all global emissions. By imposing this tax, Denmark aims to incentivize farmers to adopt more sustainable practices and reduce the environmental impact of their livestock operations.
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Newsletter
New North Sea oil and gasfields will emit as much carbon as 14m cars, report says
The Guardian environment editor Fiona Harvey reports new oil and gas licences for the North Sea that the UK government has approved in the past two years will produce as much carbon dioxide as the annual emissions of nearly 14m cars, or the entire yearly emissions of Denmark.
In a nutshell:
A new Greenpeace analysis indicates that the carbon dioxide produced from these licenses will increase more than eightfold if potential licenses under consideration are also granted. The group argues that the government's approval of new oil and gasfields without considering the emissions generated from burning fossil fuels undermines the UK's climate goals, and Greenpeace seeks to establish in court that these actions are unlawful.
Key quote:
Philip Evans, a campaigner at Greenpeace, said: “As large parts of Europe, North America and Asia are gripped by a hellish heatwave, we can see that the climate crisis is spiralling out of control, yet the government is insisting on massively expanding oil and gas drilling that will only make it worse.
“As if that wasn’t scandalous enough, when making these decisions ministers deliberately ignore the emissions from burning all these new fossil fuels. That’s grossly irresponsible.”
The big picture:
Carbon dioxide pollution from fossil fuel emissions is a significant driver of climate change, with far-reaching health effects. As carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they trap heat, leading to global warming. This warming contributes to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disruptions to ecosystems, impacting human health in various ways. Health risks include heat-related illnesses, respiratory problems due to worsened air quality, waterborne diseases, and food insecurity caused by changing agricultural patterns.
Read more at The Guardian.
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions can result in positive health benefits, writes Brian Bienkowski for EHN. For example, a climate effort in the Northeast U.S. helped the region reduce toxic air pollution and avoid hundreds of asthma and autism cases, preterm births and low birth weights.
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