First agricultural flatulence tax

On 18 November 2024, Denmark became the first country in the world to pass a tax on methane emissions from farm animals. One element of a far-ranging bill brought in to try and meet the government's ambitious environmental and climate targets, by 2030 Danish farmers will have to pay 300 kroner ($42; £33) per tonne of methane produced by livestock (including cows and pigs), set to rise to 750 kroner ($104; £83) by 2035.

According to the Danish parliament, around 60% of Denmark's land is cultivated, which along with Bangladesh, is among the highest proportions of any country.

An average Danish farm produces around 5.6 tonnes (6.2 tons) of carbon dioxide annually, with about half of that stemming from wind and manure produced by livestock. It's estimated that in its first year, this new policy could reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 1.8 million tonnes (2 million tons).

New Zealand had proposed a similar tax for its sheep and cattle farms in 2022, however it was scrapped in June 2024 after coming under fire from the agricultural sector.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that methane from livestock accounts for 11.1% of global greenhouse-gas emissions. The UN Environment Program has said that per molecule, methane is up to 80 times more damaging than carbon dioxide over the course of two decades in Earth's atmosphere.