New Technologies, Industry Developments and Emission Trends in Key Sectors: The Agricultural Sector

The agricultural sector (excluding land clearing) contributed around 20 per cent of Australia's net greenhouse gas emissions in 1996 (Commonwealth of Australia, 1998). The main sources of these emissions were methane from the digestive systems of cattle and sheep and nitrous oxide from soils (the latter in part associated with fertiliser use). Vegetation clearance for agriculture is a further important contributor to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. At present the current rate of land clearing for agriculture is in excess of the rate of revegetation occurring in Australia., implying a net positive contribution to global warming emissions