Better out than in except for when you’re in New Zealand where they’ve found an interesting way to tackle climate change
Farmers will soon be forced to pay taxes for sheep and cattle burps making the island nation the first to impose taxes on methane emissions produced by animals.
Agriculture contributes to almost half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions with the country housing about 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep.
The country’s government has been previously criticised for not including agricultural emissions in the nation’s emissions trading scheme.
New Zealand’s climate change minister James Shaw says “There is no question” that the country needs to “cut the amount of methane” they are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in that.
The proposal will mean farmers will have to pay for their gas emissions from 2025.
But there are some farmers could benefit if they choose to lower emissions through feed additives and plant trees on farms.
