EU methane emissions from agriculture down 22% since 1990

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted by the agriculture sector in the European Union (EU) fell by 21% over the past three decades, according to figures published by Eurostat.

Over the period from 1990 to 2020, agricultural GHG emissions fell by 100 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, and the sector now accounts for 11% of the EU’s total GHG emissions.

Methane emissions fell by 47 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, while 86% of emissions due to enteric fermentation are from the digestive system of cattle.

Despite the 22% decline in enteric fermentation over 30 years, this primarily took place during the first decade, Eurostat noted.

The emission reduction for the years 2001 to 2020 is equal to only 6%, whereas there was a 8% drop in the head count of bovine animals.

Emissions from manure management fell by 16 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent or 22%, while the quantity of nitrogen in manure production from swine has fallen more than that from bovine animals.

Overall GHG emissions in the EU declined by 32% over the past three decades, which was mainly driven by improvements in energy efficiency and in the energy mix.

Total GHG emissions equalled 3.35 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent in 2020, compared to 4.9 billion tonnes in 1990, which represents a drop of 1.55 billion tonnes.

While GHG emissions have been declining across most source sectors, emissions from fuel combustion in transport, including international aviation, have increased.

Despite decreasing extraordinarily in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, GHG emissions figures are expected to rise to pre-pandemic levels in 2021, according to Eurostat.

LULUCF

Net GHG emissions, taking into account net-removals, fell by 33% from 4.7 billion tonnes CO2-equivalent in 1990 to 3.13 billion tonnes in 2020, according to figures published by Eurostat.

The Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector is a sink of GHG emissions, therefore emissions recorded for the sector are negative as they are removed from the atmosphere.

The only actual sink of GHG emissions in the EU inventory is forest land, as positive figures are recorded for all other land use types, such as cropland; grassland; wetlands; and settlements, according to Eurostat.