Australian farmers have welcomed the federal government's quick confirmation that Australia has not endorsed the 2026 Global Methane Pledge Ministerial Declaration, released on the sidelines of the COP31 United Nations climate conference in Türkiye this week, and that there are no discussions about doing so.
The government also restated that Australia's participation in the broader Global Methane Pledge, which it joined in 2022, is voluntary and non-binding, and imposes no domestic methane target or obligations on Australian farmers.
"This is an important clarification and provides welcome certainty for Australian farmers," said Michael Guerin, chief executive of the National Farmers' Federation (NFF). "We thank the Government for responding quickly to the concerns raised by the NFF and providing that assurance."
Earlier the same day the NFF had urged the government to rule out endorsing the new declaration. It said Australian farmers were already acting on methane, through better genetics, low-methane pastures, feed additives and new technologies that cut emissions while keeping productivity, and did not need another international declaration. When Australia joined the pledge, the group said, farmers were promised no livestock methane tax, no new regulation and no requirement to reduce production or livestock numbers.
The NFF said that although the new declaration recognised productivity, food security and livelihoods, it also called for national commitments to be turned into policies, regulations and investment plans, which it said created unnecessary risk for Australian agriculture. The group argued that international commitments can be taken out of context by campaigners seeking to shut down livestock production, and that governments should focus on food security, productivity and affordable food.
Photo: USDA / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Beef Central
Comments
(0)