Greenhouse gas emissions from the EU livestock sector: A life cycle assessment carried out with the CAPRI model

This study presents detailed product-based net emissions of main livestock products (meat, milk and eggs) at national level for the whole EU-27 according to a cradle-to-gate life-cycle assessment, including emissions from land use and land use change (LULUC). Calculations were done with the CAPRI model and the covered gases are CH4, N2O and CO2. Total GHG fluxes of European livestock production amount to 623-852 Mt CO2-equiv., 182-238 Mt CO2-equiv. (28-29%) are from beef production, 184-240 Mt CO2-equiv. (28-30%) from cow milk production and 153-226 Mt CO2-equiv. (25-27%) from pork production. According to IPCC classifications, 38-52% of total net emissions are created in the agricultural sector, 17-24% in the energy and industrial sectors. 12-16% Mt CO2-equiv. are related to land use (CO2 fluxes from cultivation of organic soils and reduced carbon sequestration compared to natural grassland) and 9-33% to land use change, mainly due to feed imports. The results suggest that for effective reduction of GHG emissions from livestock production, fluxes occurring outside the agricultural sector need to be taken into account. Reduction targets should address both the production side as defined by IPCC sectors and the consumption side. An LCA assessment as presented here could be a basis for such efforts. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.