There are actions that might achieve small reductions while maintaining or increasing profitability, but results will vary from farm to farm.
Know your number first
Knowing what your greenhouse gas emissions are is the first critical step towards planning for reductions. A recent survey found that only 2% of New Zealand farmers know what their emissions are. Find out more about knowing your number.
Actions for sheep and beef farmers
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Stocking rate and
Modelling shows it might be possible to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10% on some farms, by fine-tuning production systems so the same output is obtained from fewer animals.
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Efficiency
Increasing outputs relative to inputs won't necessarily reduce absolute emissions, but it will improve emissions per unit of product. It's been of great benefit to New Zealand already - and that's likely to continue.
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Low-emission
Some supplementary feeds reduce methane emissions per unit of feed intake, while others help reduce nitrous oxide emissions by decreasing the amount of nitrogen excreted onto pastures.
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Reduce nitrogen fertiliser and use urease
Reducing the use of nitrogen-based fertiliser is a measurable way of reducing the amount of nitrogen available in the soil to be transformed into nitrous oxide.
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On-farm
Trees that are actively growing remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as carbon, so farm forestry can make an important contribution to mitigating climate change. However, it's a complex topic.
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Potential
Some practices and technologies have been promoted as options to reduce emissions, but there's currently insufficient robust scientific evidence to be confident of their efficacy.
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Future
Significant research is underway in New Zealand, exploring new technologies for reducing on-farm emissions. The science is complex, but some promising options are on the horizon.
More information
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Reduce nitrous oxide
The Government has set a target of reducing nitrous oxide emissions to net zero by 2050, meaning on-farm action is critical.
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Reduce methane
Methane belched out by ruminant animals is responsible for 71% of our total agricultural emissions. Reducing methane is essential if New Zealand is to meet its national and international targets.
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Maintain or increase soil
Many farmers are looking for ways to maintain or increase their soil carbon stocks to help improve farm productivity and, potentially, reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.