Greenhouse gas inventories to reduce livestock emissions

On the morning of March 21, in Hanoi, the Institute of Animal Husbandry (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) organized a scientific workshop and policy dialogue within the framework of the project "Improving capacity for inventory, measurement, reporting and appraisal of greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector in Vietnam".

Dr. Pham Cong Thieu, Director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry, said that Vietnam's agriculture is not only a sector strongly affected by climate change but also a source of large greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 13.9% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from the agricultural sector are concentrated in the fields of rice cultivation, animal husbandry, etc.

Dr. Pham Cong Thieu, Director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) delivered the opening speech. Photo: Hong Tham .

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Doan Lan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Project Director, shared that currently, when estimating greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, Vietnam is still using the common Tier 1 emission factor as proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , and there is no national greenhouse gas emission factor in many fields, including livestock. Achieving a greenhouse gas inventory according to the basic IPCC Tier 1 method is an immediate priority.

At the same time, developing the IPCC Tier 2 method for greenhouse gas inventories will provide more accurate information, meeting national requirements when implementing greenhouse gas reduction actions in the agricultural sector.

"Therefore, improving the capacity to inventory, measure, report and assess greenhouse gas emissions is extremely necessary to meet international standards, serve reporting and implement Vietnam's environmental protection commitments," Mr. Lan emphasized.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Doan Lan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Project Director, said that improving the capacity to inventory, measure, report and assess greenhouse gas emissions is necessary. Photo: Hong Tham .

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Thi Thanh Huyen, Project Coordinator said: “The project to improve capacity for inventory, measurement, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in the livestock sector in Vietnam is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade through New Zealand’s primary ministries for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) within the framework of the ASEAN climate-smart agriculture initiative.

The project is assigned to the New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre and the Livestock Institute from 2023 - 2025.

Overview of the Workshop held on the morning of March 21 in Hanoi. Photo: Hong Tham .

The core objective of the Project is to enhance the technical capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in greenhouse gas inventory and building a system for measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV) greenhouse gas emissions through accessing and unifying international standard and advanced (Tier 2) methods.

Ms. Pham Thi Hong Van, General Director of Hoa Phat Agricultural Corporation, said that in the past, because the IPPC guidelines were in English, businesses and livestock farmers encountered many difficulties in implementation. To apply them, they had to rely heavily on consulting agencies.

Developing the IPCC Tier 2 method for greenhouse gas inventories will provide more accurate information. Photo: An Khang .

However, within the framework of this Project, the Institute of Animal Husbandry has conducted in-depth and systematic research, helping businesses feel more secure when having the support of a professional agency. Cooperation with scientists not only helps businesses meet legal requirements but also ensures environmental factors.

However, she also expressed concern that the inventory of greenhouse gases in livestock farming is not yet a mandatory regulation. However, when this field becomes mandatory, can this Project be applied immediately and how will the Project be recognized?

Mr. Lan expects that the results of the Project will be recognized, evaluated and used by policy makers, as well as understood and brought to the hands of users - the final implementers, which are livestock farms, officials who will carry out inventory and assessment work, as well as activities related to greenhouse gas emissions and emission reduction in livestock farming.

“I am delighted to see the results of the Project,” said Nathan Hotter, Senior Agricultural Policy and Tourism Development Officer, Department for Economic Development and Prosperity, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand. “It was interesting and useful to hear from delegates about the next steps after the Project. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is not a matter for any one organisation, it is a matter for all of us.”