Estimating methane emissions from manure management: A suitable case for treatment?

Ward, Neil, Atkins, Andrew and Atkins, Penny (2024) Estimating methane emissions from manure management: A suitable case for treatment? Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1 (2). ISSN 2976-601X

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Abstract

Methane from livestock is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Annex I countries’ National Inventories report emissions from cattle as enteric or from manure management at ratios of between 3:1 and 9:1 depending on country and cattle type. Field research generally supports the inventories’ assumptions about enteric emissions, but these ratios have focused interest on enteric emissions and diverted attention away from those from manure management. Official calculations about manure management emissions factors are more varied than those for enteric emissions and evidence from field measurements suggests inventories may be underestimating manure management emissions especially in the dairy sector. This paper has three objectives. First, it reviews the science underpinning the international framework for estimating methane emissions from manure management. Second, it presents data from two dairy farms in south-west England where measured emissions of methane from slurry storage facilities are found to be four to five times greater than the assumptions in the UK’s inventory. If these measurements were representative of the UK, the implication is that total methane emissions from the UK dairy herd would be over 40 per cent greater than the level reported to the UNFCCC and the proportion of total methane emissions from dairy cows arising from manure management would be almost a half rather than less than a quarter. Finally, the paper assesses the potential value if methane were captured from slurry storage facilities. Its value as a biogas is estimated to be £500 million per year for the UK dairy industry (at forecourt diesel prices). The paper concludes that the scale of emissions and the potential economic value of lost biogas are sufficient to warrant urgent research and action to reduce emissions from manure management with the beneficial prospect that a valuable new income stream for farm businesses could also be realised. Keywords: methane; manure management; National Inventories; livestock systems; greenhouse gas emissions

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available at the following URL/DOI: www.ifeaa.com/. Funding information: Neil Ward is part-funded under UKRI's Agri-Food4NetZero (AFN) Network+ (Grant Ref: EP/X011062/1). Andy Atkins and Penny Atkins are funded by the International Fugitive Emissions Abatement Association, a not-for-profit organisation focused on reducing fugitive greenhouse gas emissions.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 Sep 2024 08:30
Last Modified:	17 Oct 2024 09:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/96681
DOI:	10.1088/2976-601X/ad64d7

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