To combat climate change, New Zealand wants to tax cow farts

Flatulence is expensive. In her approach to combating global warming, New Zealand’s Jacinda Arden brings to the table a proposition to say the least… surprising. According to a government plan published on Oct. 11, the prime minister intends to force New Zealand farmers to pay taxes for greenhouse gas emissions from their livestock, primarily the farting and other belching of cows and sheep.

It must be said that New Zealand agriculture is responsible for 50% of the country’s total emissions. condition due to the development of this branch of the economy. In all, the country has 10 million head of cattle and more than 25 million head of sheep. However, these two animals are ruminants, a digestion process that creates many methane emissions in the form of farts or burps. In all, 91% of New Zealand’s methane emissions come from the country’s livestock.

“No other country in the world has yet developed a system for pricing and reducing agricultural emissions, so our farmers will benefit from being the first to act.”the prime minister insisted during a news conference on Tuesday, October 11. This plan should be part of the environmental transition of the country that wants to relocate Towards a low emissions future. of greenhouse gases. The goal is to reduce methane emissions – of animal origin – by 10% by 2030, compared to 2017 levels, and by 24 to 47% by 2050. Confirms a national plan published last May.