In a development that climate zealots are again hailing as “historic,” the nation of Denmark has reached an agreement that would charge the country’s farmers for greenhouse-gas emissions from their livestock. The ultimate aim is to reduce Danish greenhouse-gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels by 2030.
Climate alarmists claim that the world’s agricultural system is a significant contributor to the alleged climate crisis, and although the amount of methane being targeted with this tax is far less than the amount of carbon dioxide being released, climate zealots argue that the effect of methane is far more concentrated. The livestock industry is said to account for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gasses, according to a study from UC-Davis.
The agreement comes after a year of protests from farmers in Europe, who claim that the EU’s draconian climate policies are unfairly punishing food producers. The Danish Parliament is expected to rubber-stamp the agreement in the coming months.
“With this agreement, we are investing billions in the biggest transformation of the Danish landscape in recent times,” said foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. “At the same time, we will be the first country in the world with a [carbon] tax on agriculture.”
“We will take a big step closer in becoming climate neutral in 2045,” said Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus, who added that Denmark “will be the first country in the world to introduce a real CO2 tax on agriculture. Other countries will be inspired by this.”
Shouldn’t a minister in charge of taxation know what he’s taxing? They’re taxing methane emissions, not CO2.
New Zealand wanted to be the first such country to tax animal emissions, but the elections of 2023, which were heavily influenced by the farmer movement against such a tax, led to a more reasonable government which ultimately scrapped the plan.
According to the plan in Denmark, methane producing livestock will be taxed at 300 krone ($43) per tonne of emissions. The tax will rise to 700 krone ($107) by 2030. Tax breaks included in the plan will mean that the effective rate will be 120 krone ($17) to start, increasing to 300 krone ($43) by 2030.
Some are concerned that the new tax will create problems for production of food. One Danish farmer organization, Bæredygtigt Landbrug, referred to the new tax as “terrifying.”
“Danish farmers will be part of a terrifying experiment that no other country has attempted,” Bæredygtigt Landbrug’s website proclaimed. “This is clear if you look at the agreement that the green tripartite presented at a press conference on Monday evening.”
“We believe that the agreement is pure bureaucracy, which is unnecessary,” the group added. “We recognize that there is a climate problem, and Danish agriculture will help solve it. But we do not believe that this agreement will solve the problems, because it will put a stick in the wheel of agriculture’s green investments.”
“I think it’s crazy,” said Peter Kiær, the Chairman of Bæredygtigt Landbrug.
How is this going to reduce methane emissions? Unless you get rid of the cows, they will keep producing methane, won’t they? This appears to be more of a government money grab than a reasonable attempt at emissions reduction. Unless the bureaucrats who have initiated this new tax are hoping to put farms out of business with taxes, methane emissions will not fall.
This is nothing less than an attack on farmers, and won’t do anything to address the so-called climate crisis.
