Most urgent action on methane ignored in EU’s Vision for Agriculture

The Methane Matters Consortium argues that the EU's Vision for Food and Agriculture ignores the critical need to reduce methane emissions from animal agriculture. The authors state that over 50% of EU methane emissions originate from agriculture and that current voluntary measures are insufficient. They recommend establishing binding methane reduction targets, reforming the Common Agricultural Policy to support farmers in reducing herd sizes, and promoting plant-based diets to meet the goals of the Global Methane Pledge.

• The European Commission's Vision for Food and Agriculture contains no mention of methane, despite the fact that animal agriculture is responsible for over 50% of the EU's methane emissions.
• Methane is a potent short-lived climate pollutant with an atmospheric lifetime of approximately 12 years; reducing it at the source is considered critical to avoiding irreversible planetary tipping points.
• Methane acts as a precursor to ground-level ozone, which causes an estimated annual loss of at least €2 billion in damage to European food crops.
• Technological solutions like feed additives and manure management have limited effectiveness; the document asserts that most emission reductions can only be achieved by reducing animal numbers.
• The EU, as a co-founder of the Global Methane Pledge, is urged to demonstrate the ambition required to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (n.d.). Most urgent action on methane ignored in EU’s Vision for Agriculture. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Methane-Matters-Consortium_Response-to-Hansens-Vision-for-Agriculture.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Most urgent action on methane ignored in EU’s Vision for Agriculture. n.d. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Methane-Matters-Consortium_Response-to-Hansens-Vision-for-Agriculture.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Most urgent action on methane ignored in EU’s Vision for Agriculture |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Methane-Matters-Consortium_Response-to-Hansens-Vision-for-Agriculture.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{changingmarketsfoundationndmost, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Most urgent action on methane ignored in EU’s Vision for Agriculture}}, publisher = {Changing Markets Foundation}, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Methane-Matters-Consortium_Response-to-Hansens-Vision-for-Agriculture.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }