Climate-smart livestock production at landscape level in Kenya

This paper is an attempt to develop a holistic understanding on climate change (CC) in relation to the agriculture sector in Nepal. The Chapter conducts a descriptive analysis of secondary data on the trend of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate variables; in addition to a literature review on CC mitigation, adaptation and co-benefits. Nepal’s contribution to the global GHG emissions is nominal. CH4 and N2O are the GHGs mainly associated with agriculture. Agriculture and forest have a significant bearing in Nepal’s GHG emissions. Hence, any policy consideration to reduce the emissions from these two sectors can contribute significantly in CC mitigation. Moreover, agriculture has a high GHG mitigation potential with strong adaptation and sustainable development co-benefits especially in developing countries like Nepal. The clear indications of CC have shown serious adverse impact on Nepali agriculture. Therefore, adaptation is highly prioritized in agriculture. GHG mitigation has not received a policy priority until recently. The CC policy-2019 is a step ahead in defining the mitigation, and putting forward the clear strategies and working policies for it. Similarly, the international efforts towards resilient agriculture and the Paris Agreement have facilitated quick global take-up of climate smart agriculture (CSA) for mobilizing actions on CC adaptation and mitigation in agriculture. This is important for realizing the co-benefits leading towards resilient agriculture system. Piloting, screening and replicating CSA along with the policy integration from local to national levels, building institutions and improving their capacity are the important initiatives directed towards mainstreaming CC into the agriculture sector in Nepal.

Carbon footprint of a conventional wastewater treatment plant: An analysis of water-energy nexus from life cycle perspective for emission reduction

Identifying a sustainable rice-based cropping system via on-farm evaluation of grain yield, carbon sequestration capacity and carbon footprints in Central China

Agriculture sector holds an essential role in Latvia’s economy and play significant role in keeping rural areas as a habitable environment (approximately 32 % of the population lives in rural areas). The agricultural sector is responsible for 28.5 % (2018) of total non-European Union Emissions Trading System (non – EU ETS) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Latvia. The largest part of emissions is related to agricultural soils (59.3 %) and enteric fermentation 32.6 % (mainly dairy and beef cattle). The GHG emissions trend of recent years shows a gradual and steady increase in GHG emissions for example between 2005 and 2018 +12.5 % and during the period 2013–2018 emissions increased by 2.12 %. According to Latvia’s National Energy and Climate Plan 2021–2030 (NECP), total GHG emissions in the agricultural sector are expected to increase in the period from 2020 to 2030, mainly in the enteric fermentation and agricultural soil categories. To achieve determined targets for Latvia’s non-EU ETS sector in 2030 and be on track to reach climate neutrality in 2050, the agricultural sector has to contribute to GHG emission mitigation. For the agricultural sector, improved food security and climate smart activities will be necessary to achieve GHG emission reduction. Existing policies and measures (WEM) as well as those which are included in the NECP as additional measures (WAM) were used to assess more suitable measures to move on climate smart agriculture (CSA), that could help to decrease GHG emissions at the farm and state level as well as is expected to contribute towards achieving the commitments in the plan. To achieve the aim of the study, a combination of the Delphi method together with multi-criteria analysis (MCA) is utilized to find a set of top GHG mitigation measures in the future. Results show that, in the future, the measure support the development of innovative technologies and solutions to promote resource efficiency in agriculture is essential to move on climate smart agriculture.

The climate challenges confronting agriculture are multiple, interconnected and multi-scaled. Agriculture is a source of increasing greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also vulnerable to climate change impacts. Adopting resilient approaches in the agricultural industry can help to contribute to both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. Climate-smart agriculture has emerged as a solution to address the multiple challenges of climate change and food security by sustainably increasing productivity, enhancing resilience and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To date, there is limited scholarly evidence on what constitutes climate-smart agriculture, and how it is framed globally and practiced by smallholder farming communities. This research helps to bridge this gap by analysing the international discourse around climate-smart agriculture, and providing local empirical evidence derived from smallholder farming communities in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. At the broad level, this research aims to identify how climate-smart agriculture within community-based adaptation programs is contributing to the integration of mitigation and adaptation responses to climate change. Drawing from political ecology and climate change (adaptation and mitigation sciences) theories, the research explains how socio-institutional factors – inequality, unequal power relations and social injustice – influence climate-smart agriculture. The theoretical arguments are illustrated with empirical case studies of smallholder farmers and civil society organisations in the two case studies. Using mixed qualitative methods and descriptive analysis of over 150 semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, the research examines climate-smart agriculture practices across three broad categories: vulnerability of smallholder farmers (socioeconomic factors), synergistic relationships (adaptation, mitigation and food security) and governance (socio-institutional determinants). This research argues that mitigation and adaptation interventions are climate-smart for smallholder farmers when they directly address local climate risks, support a combination of adaptation, food security and livelihood strategies, and empower at-risk and marginalised populations. Results indicate that climate-smart agriculture in the Philippines and Timor-Leste are characterised and influenced by multiple socio-institutional factors. The increasing burden of loss and damage as a result of extreme climate events subject women to migration, increased discrimination, loss of customary rights to land, resource poverty and food insecurity. In terms of farming practices implemented by smallholder farmers, most adaptation actions were found to have corresponding positive mitigation, food security and livelihood co-benefits. At the community level, climate-smart interventions are highly location-specific, technically rigorous, involve knowledge-intensive processes, and are influenced by the finance and capacities of local farming communities and implementing partners. Furthermore, of relevance at the global level, this research finds that there is a growing divide between how developed and developing countries frame solutions to the impacts of climate change on agriculture despite agriculture featuring prominently in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations. Such a divide is limiting the recognition of solutions that integrate mitigation and adaptation opportunities. The insights from the Philippines and Timor-Leste make a compelling case for joint adaptation and mitigation actions in the agriculture sector across three broad policy frontiers. First, implementation of climate-smart agriculture will require participatory platforms that have a focus on livelihood and income opportunities for smallholder farmers. Second, policies and institutions on agriculture, agrarian reform, land use and climate change should mainstream both adaptation and mitigation outcomes using local plans and community level programs. Third, partnerships with community-based organisations and local governments are pivotal to coordinating services with farmers, providing an array of agriculture and climate services generating new knowledge and implementing climate-smart farming solutions.

In this study, the urban CO2 emission based on energy consumption (Coal, Petroleum, Electricity, and City Gas) in 16 provincial and metropolitan city governments in South Korea was evaluated. For calculation of the urban CO2 emission, direct and indirect emissions were considered. Direct emissions refer to generation of greenhouse gas (GHG) on-site from the energy consumption. Indirect emissions refer to the use of resources or goods that discharge GHG emissions during energy production. The total GHG emission was 497,083 thousand ton CO2eq. in 2007. In the indirect GHG emission, about 240,388 thousand ton CO2eq. was occurred, as 48% of total GHG emission. About 256,694 thousand ton CO2eq. (52% of total GHG emissions) was produced in the direct GHG emission. This amount shows 13% difference with 439,698 thousand ton CO2eq. which is total national GHG emission data using current calculation method. Local metropolitan governments have to try to get accuracy and reliability for quantifying their GHG emission. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and use Korean emission factors than using the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) emission factors. The method considering indirect and direct GHG emission, which is suggested in this study, should be considered and compared with previous studies.

In the face of the global environmental problems of increasing energy consumption and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, China has taken the responsibility of emission reduction and formulated and promoted a series of policy measures to deal with climate change. Power industry is a key industry in greenhouse gas emissions, power grid enterprises as the core business of the power industry, will actively realize energy saving and emission reduction in the power industry and promote the development of low-carbon economy. Based on the characteristics of the power industry and the characteristics of the operation of the power grid enterprises, this paper identifies the greenhouse gas emission sources of the grid enterprises from three aspects: direct greenhouse gas emissions, indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electric power and other indirect greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the method of accounting for greenhouse gas emissions is put forward for each emission source.

Livestock are an important source of livelihoods in agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while also being the largest source of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in most African countries. As a consequence, there is a critical need for data on livestock GHG sources and sinks to develop national inventories, as well as conduct baseline measurements and intervention testing to mitigate GHG emissions and meet ambitious national climate goals. Our objective was to review studies on GHG emissions from livestock systems in SSA, as well as soil carbon storage in livestock-dominated systems (i.e., grasslands and rangelands), to evaluate best current data and suggest future research priorities. To this end, we compiled studies from SSA that determined emission factors (EFs) for enteric methane and manure emissions, along with studies on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in SSA. We found that there has been limited research on livestock GHG emissions and SOC relative to national ambitions for climate change mitigation in SSA. Enteric methane emission factors (EFs) in low productivity cattle systems may be lower than IPCC Tier 1 default EFs, whereas small ruminants (i.e. sheep and goats) had higher EFs compared to IPCC Tier 1 EFs. Manure EFs were equal to or lower than IPCC Tier 1 EFs for deposited manure (while grazing), manure applied as fertilizer, and manure management. SOC stocks for grasslands and rangelands in SSA show broad agreement with IPCC estimates, but there was a strong geographic bias and many studies did not report soil type, bulk density, or SOC stocks at >30 cm depth. In general, the largest data gaps included information for manure (quantity, quality, management), small ruminants, agropastoral/pastoralist systems, and in general from West Africa. Future research should focus on filling major data gaps on locally appropriate mitigation interventions and improving livestock activity data for developing Tier 2 GHG inventories in SSA. At the science-policy interface, all parties would benefit from enhanced coordination within the research community and between researchers and African governments to improve Tier 2 inventories and harmonize measurement for mitigation in livestock systems in SSA.

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

Aktualnie ważnym wyzwaniem dla sektora rolniczego jest redukcja emisji gazów cieplarnianych (GHG) w celu złagodzenia skutków zmian klimatycznych. Istnieje potrzeba dokładnej identyfikacji źródeł emisji oraz upowszechnienia praktyk rolniczych, które przyczyniałyby się do zmniejszenia emisji we wszystkich ogniwach produkcji roślinnej. Do przeprowadzenia obiektywnych porównań i wyboru najlepszych rozwiązań technologicznych według kryterium emisyjności potrzebna jest szczegółowa ocena ilościowa emisji GHG. W opracowaniu przedstawiono ocenę emisji GHG w produkcji roślinnej za pomocą śladu węglowego (CF). Udział operacji technologicznych w powstawaniu CF scharakteryzowano na przykładzie rzepaku ozimego. Wyniki badań wskazują, że największe znaczenie w kształtowaniu CF ma proces nawożenia mineralnego. Wpływ pozostałych procesów na CF jest wielokrotnie mniejszy. Miejscem głównych emisji GHG w nawożeniu mineralnym rzepaku są emisje bezpośrednie i pośrednie GHG z pól. Po emisjach GHG z pól, produkcja nawozów stanowi drugie źródło emisji z nawożenia. Zmiany praktyk rolniczych polegających na zwiększeniu efektywności nawożenia azotowego oraz stosowaniu nawozów o niskich współczynnikach emisji stwarzają obecnie możliwość redukcji emisji GHG i przez to, tym samym mogą przyczynić się do zmniejszenia CF produktów roślinnych.

Agricultural sector is a sector which is vulnerable to climate change and a source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, besides the need for adaptation, agriculture has a potential to mitigate the climate change. This paper discusses the adaptation and mitigation of agriculture to the changing climate through soil and carbon conservation. Various soil conservation technological innovations on mineral soils potentially increase carbon stocks and subsequently improve soil physical and chemical properties and activities of living soil organisms. Conservation of peat soil basically reduces the rate of decomposition of organic matter or GHG emissions and also prolongs the lifespan of the peat. Soil and carbon conservation aimed to answer a variety of local issues such as sustainable agriculture and global issues such as reduction of GHG emissions from agricultural land. Rehabilitation of degraded peat shrub and peat grassland to agricultural land potentially provides significant carbon conservation and economic benefits. Evaluation of land status, land suitability, technology readiness, financial and institutional supports are the prerequisites needed to rehabilitate the abandoned land into productive and higher carbon storage lands.

PROTOCOL: Incentives for climate mitigation in the land use sector: a mixed-methods systematic review of the effectiveness of payment for environment services (PES) on environmental and socio-economic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.

The decrease in the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industry and agriculture is one of the biggest challenges that European Union (EU) countries have to face. Their economic development should occur under the conditions of limiting the pressure on the environment. The agricultural and industrial sectors play a key role in ensuring food security, technological progress, job security, social well-being, economic competitiveness, and sustainable development. The main purpose of this article was to identify and compare the level, trends, and variability in greenhouse gas emissions from industry and agriculture in EU countries in 2010–2019, to create classes of countries with similar gas emissions, and to analyze the average values of their economic conditions. The original contribution to the article was to investigate whether there is a relationship between the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the economic development of countries and other economic indicators characterizing the sectors of industry and agriculture. Empirical data were obtained from the Eurostat and Ilostat databases. Basic descriptive statistics, classification methods, multiple regression, and correlation methods were used in the study. The industrial and agricultural sectors in EU countries emit similar amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment. In the years 2010–2019, the percentage share of emissions from these sectors in total gas emissions was growing dynamically, but no evidence was found indicating that those countries that emitted the most greenhouse gases significantly reduced their emissions in the decade under review. Moreover, EU countries are still significantly and invariably differentiated in this respect. Greenhouse gas emissions from industry and agriculture are influenced by the economic characteristics of these sectors, such as the level of GDP per capita, the scale of investment by enterprises, the expenditure on research and development, as well as employment in these sectors. The findings of this study show that total greenhouse gas emissions from all sources increase with countries’ economic growth, while a higher level of support of EU countries for research and development, and a greater share of employment in both industry and agriculture, translate into higher greenhouse gas emissions from these sectors. These conclusions may be useful for decision makers in developed and developing countries, as well as those in the industrial and agricultural sectors, in controlling and verifying the possible causes of greenhouse gas emissions in terms of the need to reduce their negative role on the environment and human health.

Mitigating Curtailment and Carbon Emissions through Load Migration between Data Centers