Analysis Of Global Dairy And Livestock Sector Methane Emissions Reduction Progress Towards The 2030 Target.pdf

## Analysis of California's Progress toward Achieving the 2030 Dairy and Livestock Sector Methane Emissions Target (March 2022)

Key Findings:

California has made significant progress in reducing dairy and livestock sector methane emissions, but faces substantial challenges to meet its ambitious 2030 target. Unless dramatic action is taken, the sector is projected to fall short by nearly 50% of the required reductions.

Main Factors Impacting Progress:

Emission Reduction Projects: While public and private funding supports promising projects, further investment is needed, especially for enteric fermentation (digesting methane from cow stomachs) and scaling feed additives.
"Social Cost of Methane" Inadequacy: This metric provides limited guidance on the net societal benefits or disbenefits of reduction projects due to project-specific variations in effectiveness and cost.
Technical and Market Barriers: While progress has been made in grid interconnection and biomethane quality standards, challenges remain regarding infrastructure development, value-added manure product markets, and clarity around environmental credits.

Projected Emissions Reductions:

Without additional funding and policy support beyond current efforts:

Dairy and livestock sector methane emissions are projected to be reduced by approximately 15% (from 2013 levels) by 2030. This falls short of the 40% reduction target.

Recommendations:

Doubling emission reduction projects: Increasing funding for enteric fermentation, scaling feed additive adoption, and promoting alternative manure management strategies.
Strengthening policy support: Providing clear guidelines, incentives, and regulatory frameworks to overcome market barriers and encourage infrastructure development.
Utilizing biomethane effectively: Expanding markets for biomethane through renewable fuel standards (RFS) and low-carbon fuel standards (LCFS), coupled with attractive credit prices.
Addressing technical hurdles: Investing in research and development to overcome remaining technical barriers, particularly related to enteric fermentation technology and infrastructure integration.