Climate fight: New law aims to drastically reduce emissions in agriculture!

Climate fight: New law aims to drastically reduce emissions in agriculture!

A current study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), published in the journal Food Policy, deals with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture in Germany. According to the study, introducing a climate tax on food in combination with climate money could achieve both significant and socially acceptable savings.

The report explains that eight percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany come from agriculture. A potential to reduce emissions by 22.5 percent, which corresponds to over 15 million tons annually, is identified by pricing greenhouse gas-intensive foods. The revenue from this tax could be over 8.2 billion euros per year.

Economic effects and social compensation

Returning the income to households as climate money could relieve the burden on poorer households in particular. Emission-intensive products, such as meat and milk, would become more expensive as a result of the levy, while more sustainable products could become cheaper. For example, yogurt and milk could become 25 cents more expensive per kilogram, while beef could see a price increase of around 4 euros per kilogram.

A demand model in the study shows that households react to price changes and tend to buy more, less greenhouse gas-intensive food. The combination of climate tax and climate money could therefore promote public acceptance of the measures. Important communication points for implementation are the effectiveness of the measures, the return of all income to the public and the targeted relief for lower-income households.

Furthermore, additional research points out the role of greenhouse gases and their effects. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane are key drivers of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, with CO2 responsible for over 70 percent of this effect. Other greenhouse gases include nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases, which also contribute to global warming.

The natural greenhouse effect is influenced by factors such as clouds and water vapor, which account for around 60 percent of greenhouse gases. However, the influence of human activities on the natural greenhouse effect is limited, as reported in the research.

– Submitted by West-East media