Civil Society support for revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to limit pollution from the livestock sector’s biggest emitters

The document advocates for the European Commission to maintain and strengthen the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) by targeting industrial farms with 150 or more Livestock Units (LSU). It argues that these farms, representing only 7.5% of EU livestock farms, are responsible for a disproportionate share of ammonia and methane emissions. The authors reject 'light' permitting systems and registration systems, calling for robust pollution prevention and animal welfare measures to meet the goals of the European Green Deal and the Global Methane Pledge.

• Industrial farms with 150 Livestock Units (LSU) or more represent only 7.5% of the 2.5 million livestock farms in the EU, yet they account for 60% of the sector's ammonia emissions and 43% of its methane emissions.
• Livestock farming is responsible for 53% of the EU's methane emissions, which is higher than the global average of 32%. Including cattle and other industrial farming activities with at least 150 LSU in the IED could enable an additional annual methane reduction of 2-4%.
• The European livestock sector is a major contributor to environmental degradation in the EU, causing 80% of the agricultural sector's soil acidification and air pollution (ammonia and nitrous oxide) and 73% of its water pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus).
• The signatories oppose the introduction of a “light” permitting system and a “registration system” for livestock operators, arguing these measures are weaker, less enforceable, and would allow industrial farms to avoid the permitting system entirely.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). Civil Society support for revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to limit pollution from the livestock sector’s biggest emitters. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2022-10_IED-open-letter_final.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Civil Society support for revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to limit pollution from the livestock sector’s biggest emitters. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2022-10_IED-open-letter_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Civil Society support for revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to limit pollution from the livestock sector’s biggest emitters |date=18 October 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2022-10_IED-open-letter_final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{changingmarketsfoundation2022civil, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Civil Society support for revising the Industrial Emissions Directive to limit pollution from the livestock sector’s biggest emitters}}, publisher = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2022-10_IED-open-letter_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }