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Coordinated and published by The Grassroots Institute, the Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources (GJNR) is an international journal dedicated to the latest advancements in natural resources throughout the world. The goal of this journal is to provide a platform for scientists, social scientists, policy analysts, managers and practitioners (on all academic and professional levels) all over the world to promote, discuss and share various new issues and developments in different arenas of natural resources.
Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions
Kesavakolappa Kumar Esakki Ammal
VIT School of Law: Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, India.
Email: esakkiammal.k@vit.ac.in | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0794-1456
Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 150-168. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
Received: 28 May 2025
Reviewed: 23 June 2025
Provisionally Accepted: 27 June 2025
Revised: 27 June 2025
Finally Accepted: 15 July 2025
Published: 23 August 2025
The agricultural sector is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation and manure management posing substantial environmental challenges. Among the proposed regulatory mechanisms, agricultural emissions levies commonly referred to as ‘methane taxes or fart taxes’ have gained traction as a market-based solution to mitigate climate change. Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas: over a 20-year horizon, one ton of CH4 traps roughly 80–84 times more heat than CO2. Livestock (ruminant) agriculture and rice paddies also contributes share of anthropogenic methane. Many countries, faced with ambitious climate goals, have debated “methane taxes” (levies on emissions from cows, sheep, rice, etc.) and other agricultural levies to encourage reductions. Such policies apply the polluter-pays principle to farming, either by charging producers for CH4 emissions or by imposing levies on inputs (fertilizer, feed) tied to emissions. The aim is to curb emissions by raising costs (or funding research/incentives) in a sector that is otherwise hard to regulate. In this paper, the concept of methane taxation and related agricultural levies in the context of climate change is examined. In this study, the theory and public discourse surrounding environmental taxation instruments are examined, followed by a comparative look at how various jurisdictions have approached them. Special attention is given to New Zealand, the European Union particularly Denmark’s innovative measures and the United States, where such policies have either been proposed or are already in place. Insights relevant to India are also explored. The analysis draws on academic research, government publications, and credible news sources to ensure a well-rounded, evidence-based perspective. By combining doctrinal and analytical methods, the paper seeks to contribute meaningfully to the broader conversation on the role of environmental taxes sometimes informally referred to as the “fart tax” in climate policy and sustainable agricultural governance.
Methane taxation; Agricultural emissions levy; Fart tax; Greenhouse gas mitigation; Sustainable agri-environmental governance
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Ammal, K.K.E. (2025). Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2): 150-168. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
Ammal, K. K. E. (2025). Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8(2), 150-168. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
Ammal K. K. E. Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 2025, 8 (2), 150-168. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
Ammal, Kesavakolappa Kumar Esakki. 2025. “Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 no. 2: 150-168. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
Ammal, Kesavakolappa Kumar Esakki. 2025. “Grazing Towards Green Policy: Global Taxation Approaches to Methane Emissions”. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, 8 (2): 150-168. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080208
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