High Steaks: Taking methane from animal farming out of its blindspot

The document argues that the EU faces a 'policy vacuum' regarding methane emissions from livestock farming, which accounts for 53% of the EU's anthropogenic methane. While the Global Methane Pledge targets a 30% reduction by 2030, business-as-usual projections suggest livestock methane will only drop by 3.7%. The report identifies failures in the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and the Effort Sharing Regulation, and highlights the undue influence of the agri-food lobby on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). It concludes that shifting to healthier diets offers the highest potential for reductions and calls for a specific 2030 methane reduction target.

• The livestock sector is the primary source of human-caused methane in the EU, contributing 53% of total emissions, yet it is projected to decrease by only 3.7% by 2030 under current business-as-usual conditions.
• The EU is unlikely to meet its Global Methane Pledge commitment of a 30% reduction by 2030; a study by CE Delft indicates that existing and proposed policies will only achieve approximately a 17% reduction.
• There is a significant gap in policy for agricultural methane compared to the energy sector, with existing agricultural measures described as 'patchy'. The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) has limited impact on emissions, and the Effort Sharing Regulation lacks specific targets for agricultural methane.
• The agri-food industry has exerted disproportionate influence over EU policy; between the two years leading up to April 2022, the Commissioner for Agriculture or his cabinet met with industry representatives nearly three times as often as with civil society, leading to a 'watered down' Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) proposal.
• The most effective single measure for reducing methane emissions is encouraging a transition to healthier diets, which could be facilitated by the upcoming 2023 Sustainable Food System (SFS) Law.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). High Steaks: Taking methane from animal farming out of its blindspot. https://changingmarkets.org/report/high-steaks-taking-methane-from-animal-farming-out-of-its-blindspot/

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. High Steaks: Taking methane from animal farming out of its blindspot. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/report/high-steaks-taking-methane-from-animal-farming-out-of-its-blindspot/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=High Steaks: Taking methane from animal farming out of its blindspot |date=27 October 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/report/high-steaks-taking-methane-from-animal-farming-out-of-its-blindspot/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2022high, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{High Steaks: Taking methane from animal farming out of its blindspot}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/report/high-steaks-taking-methane-from-animal-farming-out-of-its-blindspot/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }