Biden Announces Methane Reduction Effort, NCBA Confident In U.S. Cattle Record

The United States and the European Union have launched a global pledge to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% by the end of the decade.

President Joe Biden made the announcement Friday during the Major Economies Forum, a virtual, closed-door session with other world leaders on climate. The Forum was held ahead of the UN climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, scheduled for November.

"This will not only rapidly reduce the rate of global warming, but it will also produce a very valuable side benefit like improving public health and agricultural output," Biden said. "We're mobilizing support to help developing countries that join and pledge to do something significant."

Methane is a greenhouse gas (GHG) considered the biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2). As part of the Paris climate agreement, governments are seeking solutions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

Reuters reports the draft of the Methane Pledge says, “The short atmospheric lifetime of methane means that taking action now can rapidly reduce the rate of global warming.”

Methane has become a popular target for reductions as it has a higher heat-trapping potential than CO2, but it breaks down in the atmosphere faster, so “strong, rapid and sustained reductions” in methane emissions in addition to slashing CO2 emissions can have a climate impact quickly.

Reuters reported that a separate document listed over two dozen countries the U.S. and the EU will target to join the pledge. They include major emitters such as China, Russia, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, as well as others including Norway, Qatar, Britain, New Zealand and South Africa.

America’s cattle industry is watching closely as the Biden administration takes steps to rein in climate change. Specifically, cattlemen object to their carbon footprint being equated with those from other countries.

Frank Mitloehner, professor and air quality expert at the University of California at Davis, says that while it’s true cattle are the number 1 agricultural source of GHGs globally, it’s a different story in the U.S. Research suggests on a global scale, cattle account for 14.5% of emissions. In the U.S., however, ruminants account for just 4% of all GHGs and beef cattle are responsible for just 2% of direct emissions.

News of Biden’s endorsement of the Global Methane Pledge drew a response from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) which urged the administration to maintain an open dialog with experts in agriculture.

In a statement, NCBA said to achieve the goal of reducing methane emissions by one-third by 2030, the administration will need the voluntary participation, scientific research and practical knowledge of U.S. cattle producers. NCBA said the industry stands ready to continue leading the American agricultural community — and the rest of the world — on responsible resource management.

Last month, NCBA announced it will work to demonstrate climate neutrality for the cattle industry by 2040.

"We are proud of the U.S. cattle industry's track record of continual innovation to improve environmental outcomes, and we are committed to writing the next chapter in that history of stewardship with the voluntary, industry-led goal of demonstrating climate neutrality by 2040," said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. "We’ve engaged with the Biden administration since day one to ensure the U.S. cattle industry is recognized for our strong record of environmental stewardship and that our voice, and our priorities, are heard loud and clear. The administration cannot accomplish lasting conservation without the buy-in of cattle producers."

NCBA’s statement said cattle emit methane when they digest their food. This happens due to the cow's specialized ruminant digestive system, which allows cattle to consume grasses which grow on marginal land that would be otherwise unusable for growing food. The gas breaks down in the atmosphere in 9-12 years, is sequestered in soil and grasses, and then consumed by ruminant animals as part of a natural grazing cycle.

In recent years, GWP100 — the default method for calculating greenhouse gas emissions — has come under criticism in the global scientific community for failing to accurately account for the impact of short-lived emissions like methane, NCBA said. GWP* is gaining support among scientists as a more appropriate measure of methane's actual effect on the climate. NCBA has long advocated for the use of the most up-to-date science and data as the foundation of federal climate policy. As the GWP* methodology is adopted around the globe, NCBA supports the United States' adaptation of its policy to reflect the best available science.

The administration has not announced any policies or directives to restrict beef consumption in the United States.