Denmark plans to implement a groundbreaking emissions tax on livestock starting in 2030, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the agricultural sector’s transition to green practices. Meanwhile, new research highlights the environmental impact of the 2023 wildfires in Canada, pointing to the escalating risks of climate change-induced disasters.
Denmark will implement the world’s first emissions tax on livestock starting in 2030. The tax targets greenhouse gases emitted by cows, pigs, and sheep. Farmers will initially pay about $43 per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, which will rise to about $108 by 2035. With a 60% tax deduction, the effective rate will be closer to $17 per metric ton in 2030 and $43 in 2035. Danish officials expect the tax to reduce emissions by 1.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030. The tax is part of Denmark’s effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% from 1990 levels by 2030.
The tax revenue for the first two years (2030-31) will be used to support the agricultural sector’s green transition. Additional measures include creating over 600,000 acres of new forest areas. Denmark’s initiative aims to tackle methane emissions from livestock, a significant contributor to greenhouse gases according to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
On the other side of the globe, new research highlights the environmental impact of the 2023 wildfires in Canada. The fires released 3.28 billion tons of carbon dioxide, more than India’s annual fossil fuel emissions, and burned an area larger than West Virginia. Researchers attribute the extended and severe fire season to climate change and warmer temperatures, suggesting such catastrophic events may become more frequent in the future.
