Measuring, recording and verifying greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation
This case study is part of a series Inventory Practice that explains needs and methods used to address them. The focus of this study was to examine how Kenya determined the importance of improving national GHG inventories to align MRV of initiative at sub-national, national, and international levels.
This case study is part of a series Inventory Practice that explains data needs, data needed, and methods used to address the data gap. The focus of this study was to examine Slovenia’s methods of estimating digestability of dairy cattle and relationships of energy consumption a usable energy.
The UK reports emissions from three cattle categories. It uses a Tier 2 approach for dairy cows and beef cows, and a Tier 1 approach for all other cattle. A Tier 1 approach is used for all other livestock. For lambs, the UK has adjusted the Tier 1 IPCC default factor to UK conditions. Total emissions from enteric fermentation, enteric fermentation from cattle and enteric fermentation from sheep, and methane and nitrous oxide emission from manure management are identified as key categories in the latest inventory (UK NIR 2017). NIR 2018 used a thoroughly revised, country-specific Tier 2 approach for cattle. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, swine and sheep.
The Netherlands has a strong history in agriculture. Livestock (dairy, swine and poultry), horticulture and arable farming are still major sub-sectors in the country’s economy. Key categories in the country’s latest inventory include enteric fermentation from dairy cattle, growing cattle and swine. For manure management, methane emissions from cattle, swine and poultry, and N2O emissions from manure management (direct and indirect following atmospheric deposition of NH3 and NOx) are key sources. In the Netherlands, methane emissions from enteric fermentation are primarily caused by cattle (89%), followed by swine (6%) and other livestock categories (sheep, goats and horses, 5%). This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, swine, poultry, horses, sheep and goats.
The cattle industry in Sweden has, as in other developed countries, undergone large changes in structure and intensity in recent years. Numbers of dairy farms and animals have decreased, but the total production of milk has remained stable due to increasing milk production per cow. Today most farmers produce the forage for cattle feeding themselves but concentrates are often bought from feed companies. Changes have also occurred in feed evaluation and diet formulation methods. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, sheep and goats.
Grassland-based animal husbandry makes major contributions to New Zealand’s economy, and production practices and productivity have changed considerably in recent decades. Key categories in the latest inventory include enteric fermentation emissions from dairy cattle, non-dairy cattle, sheep and deer; manure management methane emissions from dairy cattle, and direct N2O emissions from urine and dung deposited by grazing animals (NZ NIR 2017). New Zealand currently reports emissions from dairy and non-dairy cattle, sheep and deer using Tier 2 approaches . A country-specific Tier 1 emission factor is used for goats and the IPCC default is used for pigs, as these emission sources are not significant. New Zealand began using a country-specific Tier 2 approach for livestock enteric fermentation in the early 1990s. Initially, static emission factors were used that did not change along with changes in production practices or animal performance. Since 2003, a full Tier 2 approach has been adopted in which enteric fermentation emissions per head per year vary according to changes in production practice and animal performance.
This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and deer.
Total emissions from enteric fermentation was identified as a key category in Japan’s 1990 inventory, and are still a key category in the latest inventory submission (NIR 2018). Nitrous oxide from manure management, but not methane from manure management, is a key category. Japan reports enteric fermentation emissions from dairy and non-dairy cattle using a Tier 2 approach. A Tier 1 approach is used for enteric fermentation from all other livestock types. Methane emissions from manure management are estimated using a Tier 2 approach with a combination of country-specific and default emission factors, depending on the manure management system. Japan’s specific approach adopted for both enteric fermentation and manure management methane emissions has evolved over time. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, poultry and swine.
About 90% of Ireland’s agricultural land area is used for grazing or hay and grass silage production. Livestock products account for more than half of the agricultural economy and make major contributions to exports. Until 2006, Ireland’s GHG inventory used a Tier 1 approach for all livestock emission sources. Enteric fermentation from cattle and sheep, and cattle manure management are key emission sources. Since 2006 a country-specific Tier 2 approach has been used for enteric fermentation and manure management emissions from cattle. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, sheep, goats and swine.
India has used a country-specific Tier 2 approach for cattle and small ruminant enteric fermentation emissions since submitting its first national communication in 2004, although the specific method used has changed over time, as described in the second national communication (2012). Methane emissions from manure management are not a key category in the inventory and are estimated using a Tier 1 approach, although applications of the Tier 2 approach have been reported in sources used in the national inventory. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, sheep and goats.
The total population of livestock in Estonia has been decreasing since 1990, enteric fermentation from cattle is a key source in the national inventory, accounting for about 95% of methane emissions from livestock (Estonia NIR 2017). Manure management methane emissions from dairy cattle are a key category by trend. Estonia began using a Tier 2 approach for cattle enteric fermentation emissions in 2007, and subsequently adopted Tier 2 approaches for manure management methane emissions and methane emissions from pigs in 2010. This case study describes the countries approach for cattle, sheep and pigs.