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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%.

CN30 activities

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.

Use of 3-NOP for methane mitigation by programming rumen microbiome development in calves
Exploring methane inhibitors supplemented through water to increase beef industry sustainability
Lick-blocks for methane mitigation and production in grazing cattle
Impacts of climate extremes on the productivity, nutritional characteristics and persistence of perennial legumes and mixtures
"LESTR” Low Emission Saliva Test for Ruminants
Selecting for more methane efficient sheep
Genetic improvement pipeline to reduce methane and improve productivity in the Australian beef industry
Low methane emission pastures and increased red meat production to achieve CN30
Biopolymers to deliver bioactive compounds to reduce enteric methane
Development of a microbiological and Brewers’ Spent Grain (BSG) supplement