BURPS & BLUSTER: Are farmers doing enough on methane? Methane from Kiwi farms accounts for more than a third of the country's greenhouse emissions. But exactly how this gas contributes to global warming and to what extent it should reduce is complex. As our methane targets look set to be overhauled, George Driver investigates how the gas heats the planet and how low our emissions should go

New Zealand's agriculture sector is responsible for over a third of the country's greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing the transport and electricity sectors combined. Methane emissions from agriculture are particularly potent in the short term, although they have a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. There is ongoing debate among climate scientists about the significance of reducing methane emissions, with some arguing that every tonne of methane contributes to warming and should be reduced. The current metric used to calculate greenhouse gas emissions, GWP100, has limitations, and an alternative metric, GWP*, has been developed to more accurately reflect the impact of methane emissions on temperatures. The debate in New Zealand revolves around how to measure and address methane emissions, with some experts prioritizing the reduction of CO2 emissions to reach net-zero, while others emphasize the need to reduce methane emissions due to their more rapid effect on temperatures. The question at the center of the debate is what constitutes a fair and adequate contribution to global efforts to combat climate change. [Extracted from the article]