Global emissions of methane are the highest they’ve ever been and are rising faster than ever before, a new study has found. Published this week in Frontiers In Science, the ‘ Methane Imperative’ report concludes that strong government regulation and fewer cows are needed to help avert a dangerous escalation in the climate crisis.

Greenpeace says this new finding has significant implications for New Zealand where Fonterra and the dairy industry is the country’s biggest emitter. Yet the Government has once again delayed the sector’s entry into the emissions trading scheme.

"Methane is superheating our planet and we’re seeing the consequences in real time, with climate disasters happening around the world," says Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn from Greenpeace Aotearoa.

"But there is still hope. If we cut methane emissions now, we can help slow global temperature rise. This report should be a wake-up call to the Luxon Government that New Zealand could play a big role in preventing climate tipping points if we take responsibility for our outsized methane pollution.

"For New Zealand to play its part, this government must introduce policies that reduce the number of cows, and support farmers to transition to more ecological and plant-based farming practices," says Deighton-O’Flynn.

The majority of emissions from the dairy industry are in the form of methane. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, with 80 times the heating power of carbon dioxide. "The climate crisis is here and now. Families in Hawkes Bay still aren’t able to access their homes after devastating flooding in June. Instead of holding the sector responsible to account, the Luxon-led government has given the dairy industry another free pass to pollute."

Last month the government’s draft Emissions Reduction Plan was widely criticised for putting New Zealand on track to not only miss future climate targets, but to also increase the country’s emissions. The failure of the Emissions Reduction Plan was due to a slew of pro-polluter policies, such as the plan to reopen oil and gas exploration, and the exclusion of agriculture from the New Zealand Emissions trading scheme. Agriculture is the only industry that does not, and has never had to, pay for its emissions.

Despite government inaction, MPI announced that last quarter saw a reduction in agricultural emissions. The most likely cause of this being that the New Zealand dairy herd is the smallest it has been since 2009.

"These results demonstrate what we already know, which is that fewer cows lead to fewer emissions. We do not need to wait for magical techno-fixes that are unlikely to happen. It is possible to reduce cow numbers and farm in ways that support environmental health. And this is exactly what our overseas customers want to buy."

The Methane Imperative report can be downloaded here:

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/science/articles/10.3389/fsci.2024.1349770/full

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