Informele Milieu- en Landbouwraad: invloed van landbouw op uitstoot broeikasgassen (en)

9 September 2005

Environment and Agriculture Informal Ministerial Councils
Figures on the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions

Agriculture accounts for around 10% of EU25 greenhouse gas emissions, and is the second largest source of such emissions after energy¹. While emissions from agriculture remained stable in the EU25 between 1994 and 1999, there has been a reduction of 6% between 1999 and 2003. Agriculture can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector by an increased production of renewable energy. In particular, the consumption of biomass in the EU25 has grown by 47% between 1993 and 2003 to account for 4% of the total gross inland energy consumption.

In connection with the Environment and Agriculture informal Councils, taking place in London from 9 to 12 September, on September 11 there will be a joint meeting of Environment and Agriculture Ministers on the relationship between climate change and agriculture. On this occasion, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, provides data covering key aspects, such as the driving force for greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and the positive contribution of agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, by increasing the use of renewable fuels.

Livestock accounts for more than half of the greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture

The key sources of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture² are enteric fermentation, manure management and emissions from agricultural soils: the shares of these sources in 2003 in EU15 greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture were 32%, 20%, and 48% respectively.

Cattle accounted for 84% of greenhouse gas emissions from enteric fermentation and 35% of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management in the EU15. Dairy cows³ in particular play an important role: although they make up only 7% of total livestock, they produce one third of greenhouse gas emissions from enteric fermentation and one sixth of those from manure management. Sheep accounted for 11% of the emissions from enteric fermentation. Pigs are, with cattle, the other important source of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management, with 36% of the total emissions from manure management in the EU15. Nitrous oxide emissions accounted for 27% of the greenhouse gas emissions from manure management.

The main reasons for the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture were declining cattle numbers and decreasing use of manure and fertilisers in most Member States⁴. The total livestock in the EU25 fell by 6% between 1995 and 2004, entirely due to reductions in the number of cattle and sheep.

Use of biomass and liquid biofuels on the increase

In the longer term, reducing consumption of fossil fuels and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, as well as cogeneration⁵, are seen as some of the main rational and sustainable ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy. In its Communication on the share of renewable energy in the EU, the European Commission suggests that particular efforts in the biomass sector are needed. The Community Biomass Action Plan⁶ should ensure the acceleration of the growth of energy production from biomass. The consumption of biomass⁷ in the EU25 has grown from 46.8 million tonnes of oil equivalents (toe) in 1993 to 68.8 million toe in 2003, while the consumption of liquid biofuels⁸ in the EU25 has increased from 38 thousand toe to 2.1 million toe.

Estimated greenhouse gas emissions in the EU25, million tonnes CO₂ equivalents

Source: European Environment Agency

Greenhouse gas emissions by sector and livestock in the EU15 in 2003

Source: European Environment Agency

Evolution of livestock in millions of head in the EU25

Cattle: no data available for Malta in 1995-2000. Dairy cows: no data available for Malta in 1998-2000. Sheep: no data available for Malta in 1995-2000 and for Belgium in 2003. Pigs: no data available for Malta in 1999-2000.
: Data not available
Source: Eurostat

Livestock in 1000 head, 2004

Source: Eurostat

Evolution of biomass and liquid biofuels in thousand tonnes of oil equivalents for EU25

Source: Eurostat

Gross inland energy consumption (GIC) in 2003

* Tonnes of oil equivalent

Source: Eurostat

1. The key sources of emissions in energy use are public electricity and heat production, road transport, and fuel combustion in the manufacturing industries and in households. Emissions from fuel combustion in agriculture are a minor source.

2. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture consist primarily of methane and nitrous oxide, greenhouse gases which are many times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

Methane is produced as a by-product of enteric fermentation, an anaerobic digestive process. Both ruminant animals (e.g. cattle, sheep) and some non-ruminant animals (e.g. pigs, horses) produce methane; dairy cows are the principal producers. Livestock manure is the second most important source of methane. In this case, methane is produced during the decomposition of manure under anaerobic conditions, while under aerobic conditions, carbon dioxide will be produced. These anaerobic conditions often occur when large numbers of animals are managed in a confined area (e.g. dairy farms, beef feedlots and pig and poultry farms).

Emissions of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils are primarily due to the microbial processes of nitrification and denitrification in the soil. Nitrogen is put in the soil by the use of mineral fertilisers and livestock manure, through atmospheric deposition, biological nitrogen fixation and incorporation of crop residues. When manure is applied to the soil, much larger amounts of nitrous oxide are emitted than during the storage of manure.

The main source of carbon dioxide is the burning of fossil fuels. Biomass and liquid biofuels emit carbon dioxide when burnt, but absorb carbon dioxide during growth, and are therefore said to be carbon neutral.

3. Cows which are kept exclusively or principally to produce milk for human consumption and/or for processing into dairy products.

4. Source: Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990-2003 and inventory report 2005. Submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat. European Environment Agency, Technical Report No 4/2005.

5. Directive 2004/8/EC on the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market.

1. For further information: DG for Energy and transport website

7. Biomass and wastes cover organic non-fossil material of biological origin which can be used for heat production and electricity generation. They comprise wood and wood waste, biogas, municipal solid waste and biofuels.

8. Liquid biofuels cover bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethanol, biodimethylether and bio-oil. For more information on liquid biofuels and links between energy use and agriculture see also : http://reports.eea.eu.int/briefing_2004_4/en.

9. For further information, please see Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, Theme 8 - 1/2003 "Between 1990 and 2000, European agriculture has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 6.4%".