Subscribe to MLA's e-newsletters
Stay informed with the latest red meat and livestock industry news, events, research and marketing.
Industry GHG emissions avoidance
What is GHG emissions avoidance?
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoidance is one of the four key work areas identified in the CN30 Roadmap.
The emissions avoidance work area includes activities aimed at reducing and avoiding carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from grazing, feedlots and processing operations.
Most of these emissions are from enteric methane, which is gas belched out by ruminants as a natural part of the digestion process. Enteric methane emissions represent a loss in energy available for live weight gain.
Key measures of success in 2030
In 2030, success will be measured by:
- Feedlot supplements that increase live weight gain by 10% and decrease enteric methane by up to 90% are commercially available and widely adopted by industry.
- The use of enteric methane inhibitors in extensive grazing systems increases live weight gain by 5–10% and decreases enteric methane by 35–75% per animal on 40% of the national herd and flock.
- More than 40 million hectares of grazing land adopt savanna burning management methods creating more than 10 million carbon credits per year.
- 25 million hectares of new legume plantings established within ecosystem limits, increasing livestock productivity by 25–30% and reducing emissions intensity by 10–20%.
Current activities
MLA in collaboration with industry, government and research partners, is investing in research, development and adoption projects to enable industry to move toward the CN30 target.
- Continually improving animal genetics and husbandry practices to increase production efficiency. This will also result in reduced methane emissions per kilogram of production.
- Developing technology to avoid methane emissions from livestock. Screening of supplements for enteric methane inhibition that can be easily be adopted in intensive and extensive feeding systems would be one such technology.
- Developing viable grazing supplement delivery technologies that offer co-benefits of livestock productivity and lower enteric methane emissions.
- Assessing new pastures, shrubs and legumes that offer co-benefits of livestock productivity and lower enteric methane emissions.
- Developing technology to avoid methane emissions from waste management at processing facilities.
- Developing energy efficiency or renewable energy technology to reduce CO2 emissions from use of fossil fuels.
- Developing technology to reduce N2O emissions from manure management and fertiliser use for fodder crop production.
- Continuing evolution of savanna burning management methods to avoid emissions of CH4 and N2O resulting from fire.
Emissions Avoidance Partnership Projects
All active research projects funded under CN30 Emissions Avoidance Partnership are described below. MLA has many other investments in this field across other portfolios - from Feedlot to Feedbase. To explore all investments across MLA, search via the MLA directory.
To contact project leads, please email cn30@mla.com.au with your request.
Organisation:
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Summary:
To reduce enteric methane emissions from intensive and extensive grazing systems, DSM developed a methane mitigation compound, 3-nitooxypropanol (3-NOP). Delivering 3-NOP to cattle from birth alters the rumen microbial profile to reduce enteric methane emissions, this reduction occurs for a long period after treatment has stopped. The efficacy of this compound has been extensively evaluated on intensively raised calves, while further evaluation is required on extensive cattle systems, primarily in northern Australia and NSW. If research deems 3-NOP a viable supplement for early life cattle, PGS/PDS packages and adoption activities will be developed with consultation from the MLA adoption team.
Organisation:
Central Queensland University
Summary:
DIT AgTech has commercialised a remotely managed direct water injection technology (DWIT) that delivers soluble supplements to ruminants in extensive grazing systems. DWIT utilises existing water infrastructure (bores, tanks, water troughs) to supply vast areas with methane suppressing compounds. The methane suppressing compounds delivered by DWIT are required to be soluble, stable and palatable in water. Experimentation is required on the effects of dry matter intake, amount of water imbibed with soluble compounds and other adverse impacts on animal production. If this research supports the carbon neutral position by 2030 (MLA’s ‘CN30’), it has the potential to reach a large proportion of grazing ruminant animals where other methane mitigating technologies are not viable.
Organisation:
The University of Sydney
Summary:
This project seeks to design an anti-methanogenic lick block to reduce methane emissions and increase herd production in grazing systems. The dosage of different lick blocks will be evaluated in metabolism trials that measure individual performance, methane emissions, feed and block intake with electronic feeders (GreenFeed). This technology is designed to accommodate growing animals (backgrounding and finishing) and breeding cows.
Organisation:
Western Sydney University
Summary:
Different legumes and herb species respond to extreme climate conditions in a variety of ways, altering the productivity, phenology and nutritional chemistry. Research into plant responses from predicted climate changes will allow producers to gain the knowledge for informed management decisions to achieve economic viability and carbon neutrality. Some of the plant species investigated in this project are, desmanthus, sainfoin, sulla and lotus as they have affiliations with reduced ruminant methane emissions. This project will optimise production-led environmental outcomes, including resilient and persistent pastures, climate-risk management and making progress towards being carbon neutral by 2030 (MLA’s ‘CN30’).
Organisation:
The University of Queensland
Summary:
Examination of rumen microbiome profiles is an existing method to determine low and high methane producing cattle. Developing a Low Emission Saliva Test for Ruminants (LESTR) will utilise this knowledge through a saliva test which can be done on farm by producers to rank individual animals against their methane emission rates. The use of a LESTR will fit into current production systems at the time herd selection decisions are made, it is expected to have a 10-15% reduction in enteric methane emission intensity per enterprise. This project will be conducted in the extensive Northern beef production system on both pregnant and non-pregnant cows.
Organisation:
The University of New England
Summary:
Enteric methane emission levels are a hereditary trait within sheep, the development of a mobile field test to measure methane emissions from sheep will be designed to maximise breeding selection efficiency. This project will work to quantify the economic value of selecting low emission sheep along with develop a strategy for breeders to genetically improve their sheep for low emission traits. Implementing this method aims to reduce methane emissions by 1% per year, along with improving production efficiency and product quality.
Organisation:
The University of New England
Summary:
Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) are the current tool used for breeding selection. The creation of a new EBV for methane production will help producers to select for reduced greenhouse gas emissions from accurate estimations of genetic variation and heritability of emission traits along with an increase to on farm productivity and efficiency. A pipeline will be created to include methane production into BREEDPLAN to assist with genetic improvement. The data collected will be from a mixture of feedlot and pasture-based systems from the Southern MultiBreed and Australian Angus Reference Population projects.
Organisation:
The crown in right of the state of New South Wales acting through the Department of Primary Industries a division of the Department of Regional NSW (NSW DPI)
Summary:
Developing highly productive pasture mixes with anti-methanogenic compounds in vast pastoral areas is a method to reduce the amount of enteric methane production. Species that present tannins and/or saponins will be investigated in this project, including tendera lotus, hedysarium, sainfoin, desmanthus, biserrula and chicory. These species will be tested for their compatibility with companion species and their persistence will be further improved in mixed farming systems. Region specific guidelines on pasture establishment and grazing management will be made to suit areas with differing rainfall in north and south NSW.
Organisation:
The University of Queensland
Summary:
The incorporation of bioactive compounds and biopolymers is a developing method to provide animals with methane mitigating substances. The biopolymer bolus composites when ingested will deteriorate through surface erosion causing a controlled daily dosage of the bioactive agents, such as 3-nitooxypropanol (3-NOP). The long-acting nature of this technology will allow it to be used by producers in both intensive and extensive systems. Using this method to treat young calves is a method to manipulate the establishment of the ruminal microbiome profile to produce less enteric methane from an early stage. This technology is expected to reduce methane emissions intensity per enterprise by >30%; however, this statistic is limited by the size of the bolus(s).
Organisation:
University of Technology Sydney
Summary:
Brewer’s Spent Grain (BSG) is a by-product from breweries that is being outsourced to the Australian agricultural industry as ruminant feed. By combining BSG with nutrient-rich microalgae, creates a possible pathway to reduce enteric methane emissions. Different concentrations of the BSG and microalgae supplement will be evaluated using the rumen simulation technique (Rusitec), feeding trials with sheep and a metabolic study with steers. The results from the metabolic study will be used to determine the effects on microbial growth and fermentation, methane production and nutrient utilization within rumens. The results from the feeding trials with sheep will be used to determine animal performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid profiles.
