Livestock Farmers To Pay Carbon Tax In Denmark, A World-First

Denmark will become the first country in the world to tax livestock farmers for the greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by their cows, sheep, and pigs starting in 2030.

 Livestock contributes to approximately 32% of human-caused methane emissions.

This initiative, reported by Jan M. Olsen for the Associated Press (AP), aims to target methane emissions, one of the most potent gases contributing to global warming.

The Danish government has set a goal to reduce GHG emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030. Starting in 2030, Danish livestock farmers will be taxed 300 kroner ($43) per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, increasing to 750 kroner ($108) by 2035.

However, due to an income tax deduction of 60%, the actual cost per ton will start at 120 kroner ($17.30) and rise to 300 kroner by 2035.

New Zealand had previously passed a similar law for taxing methane emissions from livestock, but it was repealed this year.

Methane, which traps about 87 times more heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timescale, has seen a particularly rapid increase in levels since 2020. Livestock contribute to approximately 32% of human-caused methane emissions, according to the UN Environment Program (UNEP).