UK House of Lords: It’s Time to Get Serious About Methane
Photo: Copyright House of Lords 2024 / Photography by Roger Harris
On 10 December 2024, the UK’s House of Lords’ Environment and Climate Change Committee released its report "Methane: keep up the momentum."
The report highlights methane-reducing feed additives as a key solution and urges more government action on these technologies. It also calls on the government to back the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)’s ‘Dairy Demonstrator’ project. This project will trial methane-suppressing feed products on commercial dairy farms across the UK, providing critical insights into their effectiveness.
The report is a clear call for the UK government to accelerate efforts to cut methane emissions. Methane, responsible for 30% of global warming to date, is far more potent than carbon dioxide but short-lived in the atmosphere. This means reducing methane emissions now could deliver immediate cooling benefits, buying valuable time in the battle against global warming.
In the UK, agriculture accounts for half of all methane emissions, with 85% coming from the enteric fermentation of ruminants. With global methane concentrations still rising, the report underscores the urgency of action. This particular inquiry, launched in March 2024, aimed to examine how the UK is contributing to the Global Methane Pledge, a commitment made by 150+ countries to reduce methane emissions worldwide. Evidence providers to the committee included academics, agriculture representatives, environmental groups, regulators, and government officials such as Defra.
The report identifies seven key actions for the government, including publishing a comprehensive methane action plan and supporting farmers in adopting cost-effective solutions. In agriculture, promising measures highlighted include methane-suppressing feed additives, selective breeding, improved animal health, and better slurry management. The Lords argue that with the right focus and investment, the UK can play a leading role in tackling methane emissions globally.
Defra’s Dairy Demonstration Program: Testing Solutions That Work
As highlighted in evidence submitted to the Committee, DEFRA’s Dairy Demonstration Program is a promising route forward towards reducing the UK’s agricultural methane emissions. The Program aims to trial multiple emissions-reducing measures on commercial dairy farms, testing real-life effectiveness and collecting data to inform future policies. This includes evaluating methane-suppressing feed additives to guide the government’s plan to mandate their use in suitable cattle systems, such as dairy and beef, by 2030.
The program also focuses on developing rapid, affordable, on-site testing for greenhouse gas emissions at the individual livestock level, potentially through proxies. These trials not only verify the impact of these technologies but also ensure they are practical and scalable for farmers. By showing what works on the ground, the Dairy Demonstration Program is a key step in building confidence and driving adoption of these innovations.
The Dairy Demonstration Program is part of Defra’s broader mission to establish a mature market for feed additives or, as DEFRA calls them, methane-suppressing feed products (MSFPs). Defra plans to mandate these products in suitable cattle systems by 2030. To ensure success, they have convened an industry taskforce, led by government ministers, to collaborate with farmers and the supply chain. This coordinated effort aims to make methane reduction practical and accessible.
Backing Innovation With Big Money
Evidence submitted to the committee also shows that there will be funding available for advancing these methane-reducing technologies. Defra’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme is already supporting groundbreaking projects, such as:
Moo-thane: Developing methods to capture methane in barn systems.
Dancing with Daffodils: Creating natural nutritional additives to reduce methane emissions from cattle.
Starting in 2024, the ADOPT Fund will offer £43 million in grants for on-farm innovation trials, running through to 2028/29. Defra has commented that methane-suppressing feed products are suitable for these trials. This funding is critical to ensuring additive solutions are refined, and ready for practical use on UK farms.
Industry Reactions and Challenges
The UK farming industry has broadly welcomed this report. However, challenges remain. The recommendations align closely with evidence submitted by the National Farmers Union (NFU), which welcomed the emphasis on affordable, scalable technologies and additives. However, the NFU has urged the government to go further. They argue that more explicit incentives are needed to drive adoption, alongside long-term investments in farm productivity. Additionally, the NFU emphasizes the government’s responsibility to ensure cost-bearing through supply chains is fair. While the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes offer the potential to incentivize methane reduction in future, the NFU thinks it is worth exploring other opportunities to incentivize greenhouse gas emissions reductions, such as targeted incentives in the tax system.
Lessons for Sweden
The UK’s approach offers valuable insights for Sweden. Methane-reducing feed additives, which are already being explored in Sweden, could benefit from similar demonstration programs to encourage participation and build localized data on their effectiveness.
As methane emissions continue to rise globally, the urgency is clear. Both Sweden and the UK are signatories of the global methane pledge and have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to lead the way in agricultural climate solutions.
Cora Taylor
Volta Greenteh
hello@voltagreentech.com
