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

Met dank overgenomen van Eurostat (ESTAT) i, gepubliceerd op vrijdag 9 september 2005, 15:04.

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


1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Agriculture
494
494
496
497
493
496
491
483
476
468
Energy
3 910
3 914
4 023
3 948
3 944
3 894
3 895
3 970
3 946
4 015
Others
513
523
517
519
498
459
458
441
430
442
Total
4 917
4 931
5 036
4 964
4 935
4 849
4 844
4 894
4 852
4 925

Source: European Environment Agency

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


% of total agricultural emissions
% of total emissions by sector
Enteric Fermentation
32
100
Cattle

84
of which dairy cows

34
Sheep

11
Pigs

3
Manure Management
20
100
Methane emissions Cattle

35
of which dairy cows

17
Methane emissions Pigs

36
Nitrous oxide emissions

27
Agricultural Soils
48

Source: European Environment Agency

Evolution of livestock in millions of head in the EU25


1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Total
346.7
346.5
348.5
354.0
348.1
335.3
333.7
333.0
329.9
326.9
Cattle
98.6
97.6
96.2
94.6
93.8
90.7
90.3
88.8
87.5
86.4
of which: Dairy cows
:
:
:
27.1
26.4
25.0
25.0
24.5
24.0
23.4
Pigs
150.8
150.4
151.2
158.8
155.8
151.7
152.9
154.4
152.8
151.1
Sheep
97.3
98.5
101.0
100.6
98.5
92.9
90.5
89.9
89.6
89.3

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


Cattle
of which:
Dairy cows
Pigs
Sheep
Total
EU25
86 411
23 398
151 143
89 305
326 859
Belgium
2 657
571
6 319
146
9 122
Czech Republic
1 368
429
2 915
155
4 438
Denmark
1 616
569
13 407
88
15 111
Germany
13 031
4 287
26 335
2 138
41 504
Estonia
249
115
354
42
644
Greece
640
150
994
9 241
10 875
Spain
6 653
1 057
24 895
22 910
54 458
France
18 948
3 947
15 168
8 898
43 014
Ireland
6 212
1 122
1 758
4 557
12 526
Italy
6 515
1 838
8 972
8 106
23 593
Cyprus
60
26
471
260
791
Latvia
371
186
436
39
845
Lithuania
792
434
1 073
22
1 887
Luxembourg
184
41
77
7
269
Hungary
723
304
4 059
1 397
6 179
Malta
19
8
77
14
110
Netherlands
3 759
1 502
11 140
1 450
16 349
Austria
2 051
538
3 125
327
5 503
Poland
5 200
2 730
17 396
311
22 907
Portugal
1 443
338
2 348
3 541
7 332
Slovenia
451
134
534
119
1 104
Slovakia
540
202
1 149
321
2 011
Finland
952
318
1 435
72
2 459
Sweden
1 552
401
1 920
456
3 928
United Kingdom
10 425
2 152
4 787
24 688
39 901

Source: Eurostat

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


1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Biomass7
46 830
46 818
49 263
51 336
53 159
55 099
56 379
58 722
60 568
62 431
68 753
Liquid Biofuels8
38
117
198
297
396
360
405
637
720
957
2 051

Source: Eurostat

Gross inland energy consumption (GIC) in 2003


GIC in 1000 toe*
GIC of Biomass7
in 1000 toe
Share of Biomass
in % of total GIC
Share of all renewable in % of total GIC
EU25
1 726 188
68 753
4.0
6.0
Belgium
55 785
1 023
1.8
1.9
Czech Republic
43 665
1 093
2.5
2.8
Denmark
20 676
2 251
10.9
13.3
Germany
344 487
7 932
2.3
3.4
Estonia
5 456
519
9.5
9.5
Greece
30 160
945
3.1
5.1
Spain
134 055
4 788
3.6
7.0
France
270 621
12 014
4.4
6.4
Ireland
15 269
170
1.1
1.7
Italy
182 007
2 918
1.6
5.9
Cyprus
2 547
1
0.0
1.5
Latvia
4 378
1 263
28.8
33.4
Lithuania
9 004
677
7.5
7.8
Luxembourg
4 196
51
1.2
1.4
Hungary
26 744
817
3.1
3.4
Malta
874
0
0
0
Netherlands
80 455
1 902
2.4
2.5
Austria
32 725
3 401
10.4
20.3
Poland
94 109
4 916
5.2
5.4
Portugal
25 331
2 806
11.1
17.0
Slovenia
6 948
460
6.6
10.5
Slovakia
18 894
326
1.7
3.3
Finland
37 101
7 041
19.0
21.2
Sweden
50 878
8 743
17.2
26.3
United Kingdom
229 822
2 695
1.2
1.4

* 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%".

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