On Wednesday (8), the Government of New Zealand released a project to tax burping gases emitted by cows and sheep on farms in the country.

According to officials, the measure is environmental in nature and aims to inhibit the increase in the emission of gases.

Should the bill become law, New Zealand would become the first agricultural country in the world to tax producers for methane gas emissions from animals.

Currently, 5 million people live in New Zealand. The country has a herd of 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep. According to the justification of the project, half of New Zealand's gas emissions come from agribusiness, especially methane.

"There is no doubt that we need to reduce the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective emissions pricing system for agriculture will play a key role in how we achieve this," said James Shaw, New Zealand's Minister for Climate Change.

Under the proposal, ranchers will have to pay for their gas emissions from 2025. The money raised, according to the government, will be invested in research and development of services for farmers.

Methane is the second most common greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide (CO2). It is one of the most powerful and responsible for a third of the current warming of human activities. According to scientists, individual methane molecules have a more powerful warming effect in the atmosphere than individual CO2 molecules.

At COP26, held in Scotland in 2021, the United States and the European Union agreed to reduce gas emissions by 30% by 2030. More than 100 countries, including Brazil and New Zealand, also joined the initiative.

Source: Canal Rural