The head of the climate dynamics group at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics this week called on the European Commission to change how it measures methane emissions in order to more accurately achieve carbon neutrality.

Professor Myles Allen said in his submission to the EU: “Having decided to aim for climate neutrality, Europe has a simple choice: to define climate neutrality in terms of metric-equivalent emissions or in terms of warming-equivalent emissions.

Achieving climate neutrality in terms of metric-equivalent emissions could mean eliminating practices, such as ruminant agriculture, that are not actually causing global warming

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“This should be an open and public discussion, because the implications, particularly for agriculture, are profound.

“Achieving climate neutrality in terms of metric-equivalent emissions could mean eliminating practices, such as ruminant agriculture, that are not actually causing global warming. Warming-equivalent emissions resolve this problem.”

Essentially, what Allen is calling for is for the EU to start using a new metric for calculating the warming impact of methane known as GWP*.

This metric, which was first developed by Allen and his team at Oxford, more accurately measures the impact of methane as a greenhouse gas as it reflects its short-lived lifespan. It also takes account of the stronger global warming impact of rising methane emissions.

If livestock numbers and associated methane emissions reduce, then this actually has a cooling effect on the planet

In simple terms, Allen and his team found that, unlike CO2, methane increases global warming only if its emissions increase. Therefore, if ruminant livestock number and the associated methane emissions remain stable in Europe, then ruminant livestock are not adding to global warming.

If livestock numbers and associated methane emissions reduce, then this actually has a cooling effect on the planet. Against this, if livestock numbers and associated methane emissions are rising, then this means it is having a substantial warming effect on the planet.