Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture

KEY MESSAGES: - GWP* (global warming potential) complements conventional climate metrics such as GWP100 because GWP* better describes the actual warming caused by methane (CH4) emissions. For example, using GWP100, a constant annual rate of CH4 emissions may be misinterpreted as having a 3-4 times...

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Autores principales: Costa, Ciniro, Wironen, Michael, Racette, Kelly, Wollenberg, Eva Karoline
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114632
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author Costa, Ciniro
Wironen, Michael
Racette, Kelly
Wollenberg, Eva Karoline
author_browse Costa, Ciniro
Racette, Kelly
Wironen, Michael
Wollenberg, Eva Karoline
author_facet Costa, Ciniro
Wironen, Michael
Racette, Kelly
Wollenberg, Eva Karoline
author_sort Costa, Ciniro
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description KEY MESSAGES: - GWP* (global warming potential) complements conventional climate metrics such as GWP100 because GWP* better describes the actual warming caused by methane (CH4) emissions. For example, using GWP100, a constant annual rate of CH4 emissions may be misinterpreted as having a 3-4 times higher impact on warming than observed. The use of GWP* can correct this misestimation. - GWP* was used here to evaluate the impact of agricultural CH4 emissions scenarios from 2020- 2040, finding that: - A sustained ~0.35% annual decline is sufficient to stop further increases in global temperatures due to agricultural CH4 emissions. This is analogous to the impact of net-zero CO2 emissions. - A ~5% annual decline could neutralize the additional warming caused by agricultural CH4 since the 1980s. - Faster reductions of CH4 emissions have an analogous impact to removing CO2 from the atmosphere. - However, a 1.5% annual increase in CH4 emissions would lead to climate impacts about 40% greater than indicated by GWP100. - The application of GWP* to CH4 emissions accounting suggests that avoiding further warming due to CH4 emissions in agriculture is more attainable than previously understood. CH4 reductions can have a rapid and highly substantial impact, which underscores the importance of making significant cuts in CH4 emissions immediately.
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spelling CGSpace1146322025-08-15T13:21:53Z Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture Costa, Ciniro Wironen, Michael Racette, Kelly Wollenberg, Eva Karoline climate change agriculture food security greenhouse gas emissions methane carbon KEY MESSAGES: - GWP* (global warming potential) complements conventional climate metrics such as GWP100 because GWP* better describes the actual warming caused by methane (CH4) emissions. For example, using GWP100, a constant annual rate of CH4 emissions may be misinterpreted as having a 3-4 times higher impact on warming than observed. The use of GWP* can correct this misestimation. - GWP* was used here to evaluate the impact of agricultural CH4 emissions scenarios from 2020- 2040, finding that: - A sustained ~0.35% annual decline is sufficient to stop further increases in global temperatures due to agricultural CH4 emissions. This is analogous to the impact of net-zero CO2 emissions. - A ~5% annual decline could neutralize the additional warming caused by agricultural CH4 since the 1980s. - Faster reductions of CH4 emissions have an analogous impact to removing CO2 from the atmosphere. - However, a 1.5% annual increase in CH4 emissions would lead to climate impacts about 40% greater than indicated by GWP100. - The application of GWP* to CH4 emissions accounting suggests that avoiding further warming due to CH4 emissions in agriculture is more attainable than previously understood. CH4 reductions can have a rapid and highly substantial impact, which underscores the importance of making significant cuts in CH4 emissions immediately. 2021-08-13 2021-08-13T19:48:52Z 2021-08-13T19:48:52Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114632 en Open Access application/pdf CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security Costa Jr C, Wironen M, Racette K, Wollenberg E. 2021. Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture. CCAFS Info Note. Wageningen, The Netherlands: CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).
spellingShingle climate change
agriculture
food security
greenhouse gas emissions
methane
carbon
Costa, Ciniro
Wironen, Michael
Racette, Kelly
Wollenberg, Eva Karoline
Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title_full Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title_fullStr Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title_full_unstemmed Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title_short Global Warming Potential* (GWP*): Understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
title_sort global warming potential gwp understanding the implications for mitigating methane emissions in agriculture
topic climate change
agriculture
food security
greenhouse gas emissions
methane
carbon
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/114632
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