Addressing methane emissions, or the art of turning a handicap into an asset

To cool the atmosphere quickly, we have a tool that is underused, powerful, and cost-effective: reducing methane emissions from agriculture.

There is no longer any doubt: the climate crisis is upon us. To limit its effects as much as possible, many are looking for an emergency brake capable of rapidly cooling the climate. Reducing methane (CH₄) emissions is one such brake. It is particularly interesting because it is powerful, cost-effective, and within reach.

Currently, attention is focused primarily on carbon dioxide (CO₂). Rightly so, since this greenhouse gas (GHG) is the largest contributor to global warming, accounting for 80% of GHG emissions in Quebec and worldwide. This focus on carbon dioxide is necessary, but unfortunately, it overshadows methane, which is the second most common GHG.

While methane accounts for only 13% of emissions in Quebec, most of these emissions come from agriculture. In fact, 50% of methane in the province results from enteric fermentation in ruminants and anaerobic decomposition of manure. Waste management comes in second, accounting for 40% of emissions.

In short, methane offers farms a golden opportunity to join the fight against climate change. Especially since those that take action generally come out ahead. The key to success? Adopting different, well-defined and well-supported agricultural practices that reduce methane emissions while increasing profits and production levels.

Methane: a significant but underestimated effect

Methane is an interesting GHG to target because of two of its characteristics: its significant warming potential and its short lifespan.

First, each methane molecule warms the atmosphere 28 times more than a carbon dioxide molecule. What is more, this is an average over 100 years, as calculated using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) method. In fact, when emitted, methane warms the atmosphere 80 times more than carbon dioxide!

That said, this GHG does not last long: after 20 years, it has almost completely broken down into water and CO₂, thereby losing much of its warming power. Of course, water and CO₂ also contribute to the climate crisis, but to a much lesser extent than methane.

In short, reducing methane emissions helps to cool the climate within a few years because it allows old molecules of this GHG to degrade, while preventing new ones to replace them. That is why, over a 20-year period, avoiding the emission of one ton of methane is equivalent to removing 80 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Like water in a bathtub

To better understand the differences between methane and carbon dioxide, let’s compare them to water gradually filling a bathtub. Reducing methane is like removing the plug at the bottom of the tub to allow the water to drain, while reducing carbon dioxide is like turning off the tap.

Indeed, carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries. In the short term, reducing emissions of this GHG does not cool the atmosphere; it only slows down global warming. In other words, it stabilizes average global temperatures, without decreasing or increasing them.

To cool the climate by acting on carbon dioxide, we must therefore remove it from the atmosphere. This can be done by sequestering carbon in the soil using regenerative agricultural practices or by burying it in rock formations using industrial processes, usually based on chemistry.

Although CO₂ sequestration is essential to winning the race against global warming, this solution unfortunately has several limitations. Since this GHG has a very low warming potential, a large amount must be removed to lower the temperature. Reducing methane emissions, on the other hand, yields significant results in the short term.

Methane, an excellent emergency brake

Methane is therefore an emergency brake that must be activated… urgently. As the main sources of methane in Quebec, farms that raise ruminants or produce manure have a key role to play in this strategy.

In the short term, this does not require a reduction in production. A dairy farm, for example, can choose to improve the longevity of its cows in order to raise fewer of them, thereby reducing costs and methane emissions while increasing margins.

This is exactly what Dedicated Dairy Farms offers: personalized support that helps farms reduce their GHG emissions—including methane—while increasing their resilience and productivity. For the greater good of the climate, farms, and society as a whole.