Copyright farmersweekly
Reading Time: 2 minutes Beef + Lamb New Zealand (BLNZ) has spearheaded a joint statement by global agricultural organisations calling for countries to follow best scientific practice and take a split-gas approach when reporting greenhouse gas emissions. More than 30 organisations across 14 countries, as well as several multi-national organisations, have joined the call to their governments and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that methane is different to long lived gases and reporting metrics must recognise that. The joint call builds on growing international momentum for more accurate and fair climate reporting BLNZ chair Kate Acland said. “This is the culmination of more than four years of effort in building these global conversations, so we’re delighted to achieve this level of support for the joint statement.” The importance of a united position was a major subject of conversation during my visit to Ireland, the UK and the US in May, she said “New Zealand already has split-gas domestic targets, and BLNZ has long advocated for this science-based approach to be replicated internationally. This would make it clear where emission reductions are expected, and in the case of methane, in what sector. “It’s vital we use a split-gas approach. Bundling all emissions into a single GWP100 metric hides the real story. It ignores the different warming effects of short- and long-lived gases and makes it impossible to see what countries are actually planning to emit or reduce.” The global alignment of industry groups and other countries gives the call more weight. “Amplifying this message alongside our international counterparts is more likely to get cut-through with policymakers and UNFCCC.” The statement was signed by agricultural organisations from Argentina, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Georgia, India, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay. “The current practice of using GWP100 to report NDCs creates ambiguity by obscuring the warming impacts of the different gases. “ Although GWP100 works well when summing or comparing the warming impact of various long-lived GHGs (such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide), it does not accurately represent the warming impact of short-lived GHGs (such as biogenic methane). “The science is clear: emissions of long-lived gases must reach net zero to prevent further warming. In contrast, emissions of short-lived gases like biogenic methane only need to decline gradually to have the same effect. This fundamental difference needs to be recognised in climate policy, and adopting a split-gas approach is the most effective way to do so.” The statement also notes that a split-gas approach does not restrict ambition: “Ambitious mitigation approaches for both long-lived and short-lived GHGs are possible with a split-gas approach. Instead, it focuses policy on the warming impact of the gases and therefore on the warming impact between sectors.”
