Emissions Reduction
Emissions from agriculture contribute substantially to Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions profile and this is why emissions reduction is a priority under the Climate Change Research Program.
The two main emissions that come from the agriculture sector are methane and nitrous oxide and by working closely with primary industries across the country we can reduce these.
The Climate Change Research Program is about providing farmers, fishers and the primary industries with the information they need to make decisions about climate change.
Methane emissions
Methane is a gas that comes mainly from livestock, in particular sheep and cattle, otherwise known as ruminants.
The stomach of a ruminant contains four parts — one of which is the rumen. The production of methane, a by-product of the digestive system known as enteric fermentation, begins in the rumen.
Livestock emissions make up about 12 per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions or 70 per cent of our agriculture emissions. In fact, livestock are Australia’s third largest source of emissions — nearly equal to all transport emissions.
Methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide so each tonne of methane cut will have a greater effect on Australia’s total emissions.
Because methane has a shorter atmospheric life span than carbon dioxide we may see a change within 10—20 years if we begin reducing methane emissions now.
Any research into reducing methane emissions needs to include our livestock industries which are vital to many regional communities across Australia. These industries are worth about $18 billion a year with about $15 billion of that from export earnings alone.
Australia is the world’s largest exporter of wool and the second largest exporter of red meat. So it’s important that any research results that lower emissions also increase productivity.
Research on methane emissions reduction will look into various areas, for example waste management, farming systems, sheep and cattle genetics and feed alternatives.
It is important that research into reducing livestock emissions create results that can be used in the near future while at the same time working toward long term outcomes.
Further information about the projects under Reducing Emissions from Livestock Research Program:
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide is another gas that comes mainly from the agriculture sector. It makes up about four per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions or 23 per cent of agriculture’s total emissions.
It’s a gas that can come from the burning of crop residues and savannahs, but mostly comes from soils that have low levels of oxygen.
So that researchers and farmers can understand more about nitrous oxide emissions across the country, the Nitrous Oxide Research Program will bring together information that shows the emissions from soils throughout Australia and from different soil types under various conditions.
With this we can develop knowledge, research, monitoring tools and techniques that will be useful and relevant to farmers and industries to help them to lower greenhouse gas emissions without losing productivity.
Working to reduce emissions, especially methane and nitrous oxide, will help primary industries to be profitable, resilient and sustainable in the face of a changing climate.
Further information about the projects under the Nitrous Oxide Research Program:
Biochar
Biochar is a fine-grained charcoal, produced by the charring of organic matter such as wood or crop waste without oxygen.
Biochar has the potential to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time benefit our agricultural producers. It can do so by storing carbon—because it is slow to decompose—and enhancing the amount of nutrients and water held in the soil.
The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has announced a $1.4 million research project into biochar, which will target gaps in our understanding of this emerging technology and address uncertainties about its use.
The project will draw together top Australian and international experts in areas of biochar, soil science and emissions management and compliment research already being done by partner organisations.
Key activities under the project will include:
- a life cycle assessment of biochar from feedstock source to production to sink, including costs, risks, benefits and implications for farmers
- categorisation of biochars according to their properties and suggested usage
- economic assessment of biochar for both net greenhouse gas emissions and potential profitability to land owners
- analysis of risk factors in terms of rates of applications as well as the potential production of toxic by-products during pyrolysis.
Further information about biochar can be found in the CSIRO report Biochar, climate change and soil carbon: A review to guide future research.
For more information call 1800 638 746 or email Australia's Farming Future.