Brazil Sees 6% Jump in Methane Emissions: Climate Group Sounds the Alarm

Brazil’s methane emissions rose by 6% from 2020 to 2023. In this period, Brazil, the world’s largest beef exporter, released 21.1 million tons of methane, marking its second-highest level ever. The Climate Observatory recently reported that three-fourths of these emissions are tied to beef and dairy cattle production, totaling 14.5 million tons. This amount equals 406 million tons of carbon dioxide.

To put this in perspective, Brazil’s emissions surpassed the total greenhouse gases emitted by Italy in 2023.

Methane is a particularly harmful greenhouse gas, capable of warming the planet far more than carbon dioxide. David Tsai, a coordinator at the Climate Observatory, highlights that while many countries face issues from fossil fuels, Brazil’s primary challenge stems from food production.

Experts like Gabriel Quintana from Imaflora point to successful examples like New Zealand, which has managed to reduce its emissions in cattle farming. This shows that changes are possible, and Brazil can find its own strategies to cut methane.

As the world’s fifth-largest emitter of methane—behind China, the U.S., India, and Russia—Brazil needs to act. Methane mainly comes from cattle burping, but it also originates from animal waste and rice farming.

Looking ahead, Brazil will host the COP 30 climate conference in Belém this November. This event offers an opportunity for local and international leaders to address climate change and take meaningful steps toward reducing methane emissions.

For more detailed insights on climate change and methane emissions, you might find the World Resources Institute useful.

Source link

methane, Brazil, methane emission, greenhouse gases, beef, beef production, COP30, Nationally Determined Contributions, global warming, climate change, environment, India Today Environment