Copenhagen, Denmark — Denmark will tax farmers for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from 2030, the first country in the world to do so, as it aims to main source of methane emissionsone of the most powerful contributing gases global warming.
The goal is to reduce Danish greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, Finance Minister Jeppe Bruus said.
From 2030, Danish farmers will pay 300 kroner ($43) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030. The tax will rise to 750 kroner ($108) in 2035. However, due to a deduction of the 60% income tax, the The real cost per ton will start at 120 kroner ($17.3) and rise to 300 kroner in 2035.
While carbon dioxide usually gets more attention for its role in climate change, methane traps about 87 times more heat on a 20-year timescale, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Levels of methane, which is emitted from sources such as landfills, oil and natural gas systems, and livestock, have increased particularly rapidly since 2020. Livestock account for about 32% of methane emissions from the 'man, according to the UN Environment Programme.
“We will take another big step towards becoming climate neutral by 2045,” Bruus said, adding that Denmark “will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture” and he hopes other countries will follow the same.
New Zealand had passed a similar law that would take effect in 2025. However, the legislation was pulled from the statute book on Wednesday after strong criticism from farmers and a change of government in 2023 elections from a ruling bloc center-left to center. – the right. New Zealand said it will exclude agriculture from its emissions trading scheme in favor of exploring other ways to reduce methane.
In Denmark, the agreement was reached late Monday between the center-right government and representatives of farmers, industry and unions, among others, and was presented on Tuesday.
Denmark's move comes next months of protests by farmers across Europe against climate change mitigation measures and regulations they say are driving them bankrupt.
The Danish Society for the Conservation of Nature, Denmark's largest environmental and nature conservation organisation, called the tax deal “a historic commitment”.
“We managed to reach a compromise on a CO2 tax, which lays the foundations for a restructured food industry, also on the other side of 2030,” said its head, Maria Reumert Gjerding, after the talks in what did they participate in
A typical Danish cow produces 6 metric tons (6.6 tons) of CO2 equivalent per year. Denmark, which is a big exporter of dairy and pork, will also tax pigs, even though cows produce much higher emissions than pigs.
The tax must be approved in the 179-seat Folketing, or parliament, but the bill is expected to pass after broad consensus.
According to Statistics Denmark, there were 1,484,377 cows in the Scandinavian country as of June 30, 2022, a slight decrease from the previous year.
