Global Commitment on Methane is essential to combat global warming

At the United Nations Conference on Climate Change that took place in November this year (COP26), more than 100 countries committed to reducing methane gas emissions by 30% by 2030, compared to 2020. As part of the negotiations, The countries agreed that this is one of the most effective short-term actions to maintain the increase in the global average temperature at 1,5°C.

In discussions about climate change, much is said about carbon dioxide, but concentrations of methane gas have become increasingly relevant because, in comparison, methane has a heat absorption capacity around 25 times greater than CO2.

Nature has its own mechanisms to decompose this gas. Under natural conditions, the emission of methane gas does not represent a significant impact and its concentration in the atmosphere is still much lower than that of CO2. However, for a few years now, scientists have noticed a significant increase in methane gas trapped in the atmosphere. In the latest report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it was found that methane is currently responsible for at least ¼ of global warming. According to the report, all the reasons why this gas is not decomposing naturally are not known.

The topic is especially relevant for Brazil which, according to data from ABIEC (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries), is the largest beef exporter in the world. The commitment made at COP26 brings new metrics to the agribusiness sector, which, however, has already been positioning itself in favor of sustainability and production efficiency for some time.

In this context, several solutions have emerged to neutralize the emission of methane gas in agricultural creation and generate positive externalities for the sector. One of them is the reuse of animal feces and urine through biodigesters, in a process that sequesters methane gas and carbon dioxide generated from the decomposition of this organic matter, transforming it into biogas, a fuel that can be used to generate of energy for the agricultural enterprise and/or sale of surplus. Beef tallow can also be used in the manufacture of biodiesel. Another possibility for compensation involves the generation of biofertilizers for use in crops and soil recovery.

In this sense, the National Environmental Council (Conama) recently published Resolution no. 503/2021, which defines the criteria and procedures for the reuse of effluents in fertigation systems (irrigation method, in which nutrients are applied according to the soil's needs). As a result, effluents that have not undergone stabilization processes for fertigation can be reused, enabling soil recovery for livestock production in a sustainable manner.

Furthermore, within the scope of reducing emissions, managing pastures according to technical recommendations guarantees the emission of less methane and the fixation of carbon in the soil (an example is monitoring the height of the pasture and controlling the number of animals per area). Improving pastures also involves improving the animals’ digestive process. According to Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Company), soil recovery and reforestation of degraded areas constitute a true win-win, enabling the reduction of methane gas emissions and an increase in animal weight gain.

According to the Embrapa publication called “Practices in Animal Nutrition to Reduce Enteric Methane”, nutritional issues in animals directly affect ruminal fermentation, affecting the emission of greenhouse gases. Protein supplementation has also been used as a direct method to reduce methane production, as has the addition of lipids to the ruminant diet, which improves energy efficiency.

In July this year, Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste carried out studies on the capacity to sequester greenhouse gases (GHG), and concluded that the average intensification of livestock production, with the recovery of degraded pasture, reduces the emission of these gases, increasing the possibility generating carbon credits. This year, it was even possible to observe the commercialization of carbon credits generated from projects and actions that aim to avoid or neutralize carbon emissions in livestock farming.

The gain in efficiency in livestock production with the consequent reduction in methane emissions requires the analysis of data for each breed, considering the available and predominant feed in the production region, as well as characteristics of the production areas. Investment in technology and innovation is essential, involving topics such as genetic improvement of animals and food and pasture recovery activities. These measures require investments that have accelerated the market for green bonds and private financing.