Total Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Research Articles

Decarbonisation of the shipping sector – Time to ban fossil fuels?

Shipping contributes roughly 2.8 % of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this is projected to increase in the decades to come. The main regulator of the shipping industry, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), bears the responsibility for developing climate change regulation. Yet the IMO decarbonisation target remains only a 50 % reduction by 2050, and, while regulatory measures have been adopted, these mostly focus on increasing the energy efficiency of ships, not the reduction of total sector GHG emissions. The result is that carbon emissions from shipping continue to rise and are projected to increase by anything up to 50 % by 2050. While many studies are undertaken on the impact of efficiency regulations or the potential for market-based mechanisms, we argue in this piece that missing from this discussion is the potential for a target of full decarbonisation, in line with the IPCC recommendation, allied with a complete ban on the use of fossil fuels in shipping by 2050. This policy would provide certainty to the market and allow industry actors to undertake the transition in a level playing field. Without such a clear signal, carriers and shipowners will transition much more slowly to alternative fuels alongside continued long-term use of fossil fuels. We argue that this position should be actively considered and evaluated, with a tapered timeline to phase out the use of fossil fuels by this date. Instead of focusing research only on the marginal gains of partial policies, scholars and policymakers should prepare plans and evaluate scenarios linked to a clear goal of real zero by 2050.

Sources of greenhouse gas emission reductions in OECD countries: Composition or technique effects

Greenhouse gas, as the main pollutant of industrial production, has experienced a recent decline in OECD countries despite a substantial increase in manufacturing output. Based on the index decomposition analysis approach, changes in greenhouse gas emissions of 19 OECD countries from 2012 to 2016 are decomposed into scale, composition, and technique effects. Cross-country differences in emissions and the main sources are compared and discussed based on the data of 19 sub-industries of manufacturing. The empirical results are as follows: (1) In OECD as a whole, the total greenhouse gas emission reduction is primarily driven by composition effect rather than technique effect, while country-specific sources of emission changes are not the same. (2) The greenhouse gas emission reductions in Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Slovak Republic, and Spain own to composition effects, which is generated by the increasing share of clean sectors. (3) The greenhouse gas mitigation in Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom benefits from the technique effect, which is brought about by the technological progress in emission intensities. These findings provide significant implications for differentiated emission reduction measures for different countries.

Environmental Mitigation Through Irrigation Management in Sugar Beet Production

This study assessed the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of sugar beet production under different irrigation and fertilizing strategies. This manuscript is an evaluation of the on production inputs used in a research carried previous on sugar beet and its conversion into GHG emissions equivalent. This paper evaluated the potential for environmental mitigation, including the reduction of total GHG emissions from agricultural inputs in sugar beet production by managing irrigation and nitrogen fertilizing. In this context, the nine treatments based on three different irrigations (full irrigation, conventional deficit irrigation, partial root drying irrigation) and three nitrogen fertilizing strategies (full nitrogen, partial deficit nitrogen, moderate deficit nitrogen) were assessed. The results of evaluation showed that DI-N 1 strategy can reduce irrigation water and nitrogen use up to 25% compared to control treatment (FI-N). In addition, this strategy saved 25% of electricity consumption use for irrigation. The analyse of pollution in this study led to very important findings: more environment-friendly irrigation and fertilization practices by using less water and nitrogen have a considerable potential for environmental mitigation in sugar beet production

Effect and mechanism of biochar on CO2 and N2O emissions under different nitrogen fertilization gradient from an acidic soil

“Nature based solutions” has been proposed at COP25 as an important venture for combating anthropogenic climate change, and soil biochar amendment have been proposed to have vast carbon sequestration potential. On the other hand, biochar carbon storage in soils is confronted with both biochar and soil carbon and nitrogen loss. The superposition of these two influences leads to complex variation in net greenhouse gas emissions from biochar-amended-soils. Nitrogen fertilization is a common agriculture practice in China and worldwide. To study the effects and mechanisms of biochar on soil net greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, N2O) under different nitrogen fertilization gradient in a ferrallitic soil, a soil column experiment was conducted. Maize straw derived biochar (pyrolysed at 500 °C) and nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium sulfate) were investigated at varying application rates. It was found that biochar amendment increased CO2 emissions by 51.1%–57.1% and N2O emissions by 50.0%–73.7%, respectively, when soil was incubated with 50 mg N/kg nitrogen fertilization. The N2O emission in soil was dominated by nitrification, and the labile fraction of biochar played the dominant role in increasing soil CO2 and N2O emissions. Therefore, water or acid washing of biochar before its application would significantly reduce the net GHG emissions. When the nitrogen fertilization was applied at the unusually high level of 450 mg N/kg, the N2O emissions mainly came from denitrification. Biochar amendment introduced less soil CO2 emission increment, and suppressed N2O emissions by inhibition of denitrification via adsorption protection mechanism (towards nitrogen) and aeration effect. A chain mechanism has been illustrated and results from this study suggest that biochar is best applied to an environment or the circumstance that maximizes adsorption protection mechanism and aeration effect to achieve total greenhouse gas emission reduction. This study therefore provides basis for the scientific sound application and regulation of biochar amendment in soils.

The climate change mitigation potential of sugarcane based technologies for automobiles; CO2 negative emissions in sight

Continuous effort to mitigate climate change relies onnew technologies able to satisfy human demand for energy services with high energy efficiency andreasonable costs. We show that blending a well-known technology with recently introduced and proven technical advances can mitigate climate change in the road transport sector. Furthermore, the achievement of a reasonable cost target is proved to be true when internal combustion engines (ICE) light duty vehicles (LDVs), powered by gasoline fuel, are replaced by plug-in hybrid LDVs (PHEV), powered by ethanol and electricity produced from sugarcane, using well established technology. The only improvements in such ethanol producing technology are the addition of woody biomass to extend the operation of sugar mills and the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated during sugar fermentation into ethanol. Both actions are already adopted and well developed. The study quantifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions and the present value cost for operation of a global fleet of 1 billion LDV over a 60-year period. The PHEV powered by sugar cane products reduces GHGs emissions partly through negative emissions, at a lower cost than gasoline fueled ICE vehicles or electric vehicles. Total potential GHG emission reduction is significant but lower than what is required for the transport sector to fulfill international commitments. Nevertheless, if 1 billion sugarcane-based PHEV hit the streets by the year 2060, 6.18 Gt CO2e/year can be avoided while the necessity of land for biomass plantation is kept at a reasonable value (86 Mha).

Multiple Substrates Anaerobic Co-Digestion: A Farm-Scale Biogas Project and the GHG Emission Reduction Assessment

UGlobal warming has become an increasingly inconvenient situation, indicating the importance of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Anaerobic co-digestion of multiple substrates is an effective way to utilize wastes and reduce GHG emissions. In this study, batch anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure, corn straw, and fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) was performed in a laboratory and extended to a farm-scale biogas project. Laboratory test results showed a specific biogas yield of 420.18 mL/g VS when the ratio of pig manure, corn straw, and FVW was 100:20:1 (TS). A farm-scale biogas project was improved on the basis of laboratory studies, and an average specific volumetric biogas production rate of 1.22 m3/m3 d was obtained. For GHG emission reduction assessment, the open anaerobic pond of pig manure, solid waste disposal site of FVW, and uncontrolled burning of corn straw were used as baselines, obtaining a total GHG emission reduction of 303.08 t CO2 annually. The farm-scale biogas project could treat corn straw, pig manure, and fruits and vegetable wastes, achieving considerable environmental benefits.

Effects of continuous cyanobacterial salvaging on greenhouse gas flux on water-air interface in autumn

在巢湖西北半湖近岸带设置大型围隔研究秋季连续打捞蓝藻对湖泊温室气体通量的影响，应用YL-1000型大型仿生式水面蓝藻清除设备进行原位打捞蓝藻，通过便携式温室气体分析仪-静态箱法对大型围隔内水-气界面CH₄、CO₂通量特征及其影响因素进行观测.结果表明：对比未打捞区，蓝藻连续打捞下打捞区水体中叶绿素a（Chl.a）、悬浮物（SS）浓度不断下降，两者削减率分别为72%、85%，Chl.a、SS浓度分别下降到29.6±2.5 μg/L、12.5±1.2 mg/L，打捞对围隔内颗粒态物质去除效果十分明显；打捞过程中水体溶解性有机物（DOM）中微生物代谢类腐殖质（C1）、类蛋白（C3）显著下降趋势，打捞区C1、C3组分（0.18±0.02、0.06±0.01 RU）强度明显低于未打捞区（0.26±0.05、0.12±0.03 RU），打捞能有效控制藻源性溶解性有机质释放.同时，打捞区水-气界面CH₄通量呈显著下降趋势，未打捞区CH₄通量平均值（17.473±1.514 nmol/（m²·s））为打捞区（7.004±4.163 nmol/（m²·s））近2倍，CH₄通量与Chl.a、C1、C3组分均呈显著正相关，水体中藻源性溶解态有机质对CH₄通量具有促进作用；打捞区CO₂释放通量呈显著上升趋势，打捞区CO₂吸收通量（-0.200±0.069 μmol/（m²·s））明显低于未打捞区（-0.344±0.017 μmol/（m²·s）），CO₂通量与Chl.a、温度均呈显著负相关.秋季打捞对CH₄、CO₂综合日平均通量减排量值为0.275±0.076 mol/（m²·d）（以CO₂当量计）.研究结果揭示了巢湖秋季连续打捞蓝藻过程对水-气界面温室气体具有显著减排作用，且能在一定程度上减缓蓝藻水华与湖泊富营养化、气候变暖之间的恶性循环，为湖泊碳循环和蓝藻水华灾害防控提供科学数据支撑和理论参考.;To investigate greenhouse gas flux on the water-air interface in autumn, the large enclosures were built up in the near-shore zone of the northwestern Lake Chaohu, China. The YL-1000 large-scale bionic cyanobacteria removal equipment was used to salvage cyanobacteria in situ. The characteristics of CH₄ and CO₂ fluxes and their influencing factors in the salvaging and control zone were observed by static chamber method equipped with a portable greenhouse gas analyzer. The results showed that the concentration of chlorophyll-a and suspended solids (SS) (29.6±2.5 μg/L and 12.5±1.2 mg/L, respectively) in the salvaging zone significantly decreased with the reduction rate of 72% and 85%, respectively, compared with those in the control. The removal of particulate matter like total nitrogen, total phosphorus, SS and COD_Mn after salvaging was effective. The microbially-derived humic-like (C1) and autochthonous protein-like (C3) components in the DOM significantly decreased during the salvaging process. The C1 and C3 fluorescence intensity (0.18±0.02 RU and 0.06±0.01 RU, respectively) in the salvaging zone were significantly lower than those of control (0.26±0.05 RU and 0.12±0.03 RU, respectively), which suggested that salvaging can effectively control the release of algal-derived dissolved organic matter. The average flux of CH₄ in the control (17.473±1.514 nmol/(m²·s)) was twice than that of the salvaging zone (7.004±4.163 nmol/(m²·s)). In the salvaging zone, CH₄ flux was significantly positively correlated with Chl.a, C1 and C3 components, which suggested that algal-derived organic matter could promote CH₄ flux. The CO₂ flux showed a significant upward trend in the salvaging zone and remained constant in the control. The CO₂ flux (-0.200±0.069 μmol/(m²·s)) in the salvaging zone was significantly higher than that in the control (-0.344±0.017 μmol/(m²·s)). The CO₂ flux was significantly negatively correlated with Chl.a and temperature in salvaging zone. The total greenhouse gas emission reduction for CH₄ and CO₂ is 0.275±0.076 mol/(m²·d) (carbon dioxide equivalent). The results reveal that the continuous cyanobacterial salvaging process in Lake Chaohu reduces the flux of greenhouse gas on the water-air interface, and can slow down the vicious cycles between cyanobacterial blooms and lake eutrophication and climate warming.

Improving the Sustainability of Dairy Slurry by A Commercial Additive Treatment

Ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from livestock farms contribute to negative environmental impacts such as acidification and climate change. A significant part of these emissions is produced from the decomposition of slurry in livestock facilities, during storage and treatment phases. This research aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the additive “SOP LAGOON” (made of agricultural gypsum processed with proprietary technology) on (i) NH3 and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, (ii) slurry properties and N loss. Moreover, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method was applied to assess the potential environmental impact associated with stored slurry treated with the additive. Six barrels were filled with 65 L of cattle slurry, of which three were used as a control while the additive was used in the other three. The results indicated that the use of the additive led to a reduction of total nitrogen, nitrates, and GHG emissions. LCA confirmed the higher environmental sustainability of the scenario with the additive for some environmental impact categories among which climate change. In conclusion, the additive has beneficial effects on both emissions and the environment, and the nitrogen present in the treated slurry could partially displace a mineral fertilizer, which can be considered an environmental credit.

An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from CLT and glulam in two residential nearly zero energy buildings

ABSTRACT This paper analyses and compares the embodied and operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of two nearly Zero Energy Buildings, a student housing building in Trondheim, Norway, and a residential building in Växjö, Sweden. The student housing in Trondheim, Moholt Allmenning Tower B, is a 9-storey tower composed of cross laminated timber (CLT) panels and concrete floor slabs with a total heated floor area of 3801 m2. The apartment building in Växjö, House A, consists of 8 floors composed of glued laminated timber (glulam) beams with a wood-cassette floor, and concrete slabs with a total heated floor area of 3483 m2. The results show that the use of CLT has the largest reduction of total GHG emissions due to substituting concrete elements in the structural frame. The comparative assessment of the external wall and the internal floor constructions shows that the use of CLT adds marginal GHG emissions per unit of area of component. The calculation of operational GHG emissions shows that the use of the Nordic electricity mix disfavours the full-electric energy system of Moholt Allmenning Tower B, in contrast to the district heating used in Norra Vallen Building A.

Environmental load assessment for an integrated design of microalgae system of palm oil mill in Indonesia

The environmental load of continuous bioenergy production from palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) included with a proposed 10 ha of microalgae production system were assessed to be implemented in Indonesia. Material and energy balances, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, nutrient requirement and also water scarcity during bioenergy production cycle were evaluated. The integrated system was developed for 60 tons h−1 of fresh fruit bunch (FFB) processing capacity of a conventional mill. Aggregate of energy-profit ratio from the proposed system was 5.20, which indicates a positive balance. The total water footprint for each palm oil and microalgae cultivation was 3.18 and 2.85 m3 kg−1 of biodiesel production, respectively. Microalgae mix-culture has the potential to treat organic compounds from palm oil mill effluent (POME) and combined with flue gases from biomass and biogas power plant as the alternative nutrient sources contributed to net-reduction of GHG emission for 158.8 tons ha−1 of microalgae culture, annually. The integrated system produced 26,471 tons of biodiesel that included 223 tons from microalgae and contribute to 39.90% of total GHG emission reduction from diesel fuel substitute. Additional co-product of 520.33 tons year−1 of animal feed from defatted biomass also possible to be produced and have potential for environmental benefits.

Waste Management Pinch Analysis (WAMPA): Application of Pinch Analysis for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in municipal solid waste management

Improper waste management happened in most of the developing country where inadequate disposal of waste in landfill is commonly practiced. Apart from disposal, MSW can turn into valuable product through recycling, energy recovery, and biological recovery action as suggested in the hierarchy of waste management. This study presents a method known as Waste Management Pinch Analysis (WAMPA) to examine the implication of a dual-objective – landfill and GHG emission reduction target in sustainable waste management. WAMPA is capable to identify the capacity of each waste processing strategy through graphical representation. A general methodology of WAMPA is presented through a demonstration of a SWM case followed by a detailed representation of WAMPA for five waste types. Application of the WAMPA is then applied on a case study for sustainable waste management planning from year 2015 to 2035. Three waste management strategies are incorporated into the case study – landfill, Waste-to-Energy (WtE), and reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R). The results show a 13.5% of total GHG emission reduction and 54.6% of total reduction of landfill are achieved. The major contributor of GHG emission which are from food waste (landfill emission) and plastic (WtE emission) is reduced.

Greenhouse gas emissions of an on-farm swine manure treatment plant – comparison with conventional storage in anaerobic tanks

This study aims to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction over a five-month period due to the implementation of a swine manure treatment plant, installed as an alternative to conventional manure storage in anaerobic tanks. The treatment plant, located in Segovia (Spain), was installed in a farrow-to-finish farm with approximately 300 sows, and was based on solid–liquid separation using screw pressing followed by coagulation-flocculation and nitrification-denitrification of the liquid fraction. Information collected during the study of the on-farm treatment plant together with the guidelines proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was used to quantify GHG emissions for each scenario. Implementing the manure treatment plant led to a total annual GHG emission reduction of 62% (from 1204 t CO2-equiv to 456 t CO2-equiv). CO2 and CH4 emissions fell by 72% and 69%, respectively, whereas N2O emissions were similar in the two scenarios studied. It should be pointed out that only CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use were considered in the estimation. In addition, the contribution made by each of the treatment plant units to GHG emission was calculated. Carbon credit exchange might translate to a direct benefit of 0.21 € per m3 of treated manure. Reducing GHG emissions should thus be considered as a complementary factor in the development of cleaner systems for manure management, yielding both environmental as well as financial advantages.

Integrated spatiotemporal modelling of bioenergy production potentials, agricultural land use, and related GHG balances; demonstrated for Ukraine

AbstractThis study shows how bioenergy potential and total greenhouse gas (GHG) balances of land‐use change and agricultural intensification can be modeled in an integrated way. The modeling framework is demonstrated for first‐ and second‐generation ethanol production in Ukraine for the timeframe 2010–2030 for two scenarios: a business as usual (BAU) scenario in which current trends in agricultural productivity are continued; and a progressive scenario, which projects a convergence of yield levels in Ukraine with Western Europe. The spatiotemporal development in land for food production is analyzed making use of the PCRaster Land Use Change (PLUC) model. The land‐use projections serve as input for the analysis of the CO2, N2O, and CH4 emissions related to changes in land use and agricultural management, as well as the abatement of GHG emissions by replacing fossil fuels with bioethanol production from wheat and switchgrass. This results in annual maps (1 km2 resolution) of the different GHG emissions for the modeled timeframe. In the BAU scenario, the GHG emissions increase over time, whereas in the progressive scenario, a total cumulative GHG emission reduction of 0.8 Gt CO2‐eq for wheat and 3.8 Gt CO2‐eq for switchgrass could be achieved in 2030. When the available land is used for the re‐growth of natural vegetation, 3.5 Gt CO2‐eq could be accumulated. These emission reductions could increase when appropriate measures are taken. The spatiotemporal PLUC model + GHG module allows for spatiotemporal and integrated modeling of total GHG emissions of bioenergy production and intensification of the agricultural sector. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Assessment of the biomass energy potentials and environmental benefits of Jatropha curcas L. in Southwest China

Jatropha curcas L. (JCL) is believed to be the most promising tree species used to produce biodiesel in China. Due to its abundant marginal land resource and good meteorological conditions, Southwest China is the major region to develop JCL. With Southwest China being taken as the study area in this paper, multi-factor comprehensive analysis is used to identify marginal land resources suitable to JCL plantation and make suitability assessment, thus obtaining their spatial distribution, suitability degree and total amount. With life cycle analysis (LCA), the life cycle net energy and greenhouse gas emission reduction capacity of marginal land resources with different suitability degrees used to produce biodiesel are investigated. Based on the research results, the life cycle model is expanded to obtain the potentiality of total net energy production and greenhouse gas emission reduction of large-scale plantation of JCL in southwest China. The results show that the area of land resources suitable and moderately suitable for JCL plantation is 1.99 × 106 ha and 5.57 × 106 ha, respectively. If all of these land resources are put into use, the maximum net production potential of biodiesel from JCL would be 1.51 × 108 GJ/a, and the total greenhouse gas emission reduction capacity 1.59 × 107 t/a in Southwest China.

Economic feasibility of carbon emission reduction in electricity generation, a case study based on Sri Lanka

The main purpose of this paper is an assessment of economic feasibility in reducing carbon dioxide emission of electricity generation in Sri Lanka. The paper shows that the present annual green house gas (GHG) emission with respect to electricity generation in Sri Lanka is about 2.8 million metric tons. The identified total GHG emission reduction potential in electricity generation is about 37 GW. The total reduction in GHG will be 16 million metric tons per year. Considering the savings on fossil fuel combustion, the total investment on CHG reduction methods would be recovered within a reasonable period as confirmed by a sensitivity analysis. To achieve these benefits, broad policies and guidelines are presented in-line with the country’s environmental obligations. This is the first time that this type of scientific research study has been carried out in Sri Lanka to ascertain the current situation of GHG emission of electricity generation, to identify possible methods in reducing carbon dioxide emission and their economic feasibility. The methodology employed and the policies derived can be used as guides to similar types of research in other countries as well.

Comparison of green-house gas emission reductions and landfill gas utilization between a landfill system and an incineration system

Electricity generation and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions were researched by making comparisons between municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill and incineration systems with three different electricity generation efficiencies - 10%, 21%, and 24.7%. For MSW landfill systems, it is shown that the total electricity generation is 198,747 MWh, and the total GHG emission reduction is 1,386,081 tonne CO( 2) during a 21-year operation period. For incineration systems, the total electricity generation is 611,801 MWh, and the total GHG emission reduction is 1,339,158 tonne CO(2) during a 10-year operation period even if the electricity generation efficiency is only 10%. It is also shown that electricity generation increases quicker than the GHG emission reductions with the increase of electricity generation efficiency. However, incineration systems show great superiority in LFG utilisation and GHG emission reductions.

Contribution of N2O to the greenhouse gas balance of first‐generation biofuels

AbstractIn this study, we analyze the impact of fertilizer‐ and manure‐induced N2O emissions due to energy crop production on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when conventional transportation fuels are replaced by first‐generation biofuels (also taking account of other GHG emissions during the entire life cycle). We calculate the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by applying a statistical model that uses spatial data on climate and soil. For the land use that is assumed to be replaced by energy crop production (the ‘reference land‐use system’), we explore a variety of options, the most important of which are cropland for food production, grassland, and natural vegetation. Calculations are also done in the case that emissions due to energy crop production are fully additional and thus no reference is considered. The results are combined with data on other emissions due to biofuels production that are derived from existing studies, resulting in total GHG emission reduction potentials for major biofuels compared with conventional fuels. The results show that N2O emissions can have an important impact on the overall GHG balance of biofuels, though there are large uncertainties. The most important ones are those in the statistical model and the GHG emissions not related to land use. Ethanol produced from sugar cane and sugar beet are relatively robust GHG savers: these biofuels change the GHG emissions by −103% to −60% (sugar cane) and −58% to −17% (sugar beet), compared with conventional transportation fuels and depending on the reference land‐use system that is considered. The use of diesel from palm fruit also results in a relatively constant and substantial change of the GHG emissions by −75% to −39%. For corn and wheat ethanol, the figures are −38% to 11% and −107% to 53%, respectively. Rapeseed diesel changes the GHG emissions by −81% to 72% and soybean diesel by −111% to 44%. Optimized crop management, which involves the use of state‐of‐the‐art agricultural technologies combined with an optimized fertilization regime and the use of nitrification inhibitors, can reduce N2O emissions substantially and change the GHG emissions by up to −135 percent points (pp) compared with conventional management. However, the uncertainties in the statistical N2O emission model and in the data on non‐land‐use GHG emissions due to biofuels production are large; they can change the GHG emission reduction by between −152 and 87 pp.

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in European conventional and organic dairy farming

Abstract Dairy farming is the largest agricultural source of the greenhouse gases methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in Europe. A whole-farm modeling approach was used to investigate promising mitigation measures. The effects of potential mitigation measures were modeled to obtain estimates of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from representative dairy model farms in five European regions. The potential to reduce farm GHG emissions was calculated per kg milk to compare organic and conventional production systems and to investigate region and system specific differences. An optimized lifetime efficiency of dairy cows reduced GHG emissions by up to 13% compared to baseline model farms. The evaluation of frequent removal of manure from animal housing into outside covered storage reduced farm GHG emissions by up to 7.1%. Scraping of fouled surfaces per se was not an effective option since the reduction in GHG emissions from animal housing was more than out-weighed by increased emissions from the storage and after field application. Manure application by trail hose and injection, respectively, was found to reduce farm GHG emissions on average by 0.7 and 3.2% compared to broadcasting. The calculated model scenarios for anaerobic digestion demonstrated that biogas production could be a very efficient and cost-effective option to reduce GHG emissions. The efficiency of this mitigation measure depends on the amount and quality of organic matter used for co-digestion, and how much of the thermal energy produced is exploited. A reduction of GHG emissions by up to 96% was observed when all thermal energy produced was used to substitute fossil fuels. Potential measures and strategies were scaled up to the level of European regions to estimate their overall mitigation potential. The mitigation potential of different strategies based on a combination of measures ranged from −25 up to −105% compared to baseline model farms. A full implementation of the most effective strategy could result in a total GHG emission reduction of about 50 Mt of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents per year for conventional dairy farms of EU(15) comparable to the defined model farms.