Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using GWP* alongside GWP100 to account for methane emissions from livestock, in order to reflect whether herd-level emissions are increasing, stable or declining over time.

Defra recognises the ongoing debate on how best to account for short-lived greenhouse gases such as methane. While GWP* can provide useful insights into methane's warming effects, it is not currently considered a suitable replacement for conventional emissions reporting metrics in agriculture. The GWP* concept of "no additional warming" risks implying that continued methane emissions are environmentally neutral and may weaken incentives for emissions reductions. GWP100 remains the internationally agreed metric for greenhouse gas reporting. The UK will continue to engage in international discussions and monitor emerging evidence, guided by the best available science and international consensus.