Unlocking action on livestock methane
Contributing authors: Charles Brooke, Program Lead, Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation, Spark Climate Solutions and Barrett Olafson, Project Manager, Livestock Enteric Methane Mitigation, Spark Climate Solutions
Accelerating methane-reducing technologies and innovative market-based mechanisms at San Francisco Climate Week
Reducing methane is one of the fastest, most impactful ways to slow near-term climate change, and tackling livestock emissions is a crucial part of that effort as they are the largest human-caused source. A recent conversation at San Francisco Climate Week (April 2025), hosted by Spark Climate Solutions and Clean Air Task Force (CATF), brought together experts from across the livestock industry, technology developers, government, non-profit community and philanthropy to identify opportunities to accelerate the development of promising solutions and ensure their widespread and durable use.
A global opportunity with local complexity
Methane-reducing solutions must reflect the complexity of livestock systems globally.
Livestock systems are central to the livelihoods of more than 500 million farmers around the world. These systems are incredibly diverse – shaped by geography, culture, and scale. One message came through clearly in our discussion: innovation that works across diverse systems is needed, but it is only one part of the solution. To ensure lasting adoption, solutions must be technically sound, economically viable, and practical for farmers to implement. This presents a vital imperative: we must support the development of technologies and practices that can deliver emissions reductions in specific local contexts, and accelerate their adoption.
Discussion highlights
Farmers need solutions – and innovators need support
Improvements in livestock productivity have led to a decrease in methane intensity (i.e., emission per unit of meat or milk) in many parts of the world, and yet this remains a massive, untapped opportunity in many developing countries. However, we need solutions that go beyond intensity improvements to deliver absolute methane reductions to accelerate agriculture emissions reductions globally.
Methane-reducing technologies are emerging rapidly, thanks in large part to targeted policy and philanthropic support. The Global Methane Hub, through the Enteric Fermentation R&D accelerator, is significantly increasing the pace of enteric methane knowledge generation and technology development. In California, policies such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), and the Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP), have supported innovators in scaling emissions reduction technologies.
Beyond technology development and scaling, both farmers and innovators need trustworthy and practical systems for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) to build confidence in methane-reducing solutions. MRV systems also unlock innovative funding mechanisms, like insetting programs, which pay for credits of reductions in emissions and distribute the financial benefits across the supply chain. Yet, research and development in this area remain underfunded and urgently needed.
Moving from shelf to pasture
Without viable pathways to implementation, even the most effective solutions may never gain traction.
While promising technologies, such as feed additives, selective breeding and genetics, and improved manure management, are advancing, they risk going unused without strong market incentive mechanisms and adoption support to back them. Innovative approaches like Advance Market Commitments, which de-risk early investment by guaranteeing a market once products meet defined criteria, and insetting mechanisms, which allow emissions reductions to be attributed and payments distributed across the supply chain, are being explored and implemented, but more is needed. Greater support for research-to-action efforts that drive policy development is required.
Tailored finance mechanisms are essential
Financing tools (e.g., subsidies, tax breaks, and low-interest loans) must be tailored to the realities of diverse farming systems, whether beef or dairy, confined or extensive systems, and aligned with each country’s unique context and opportunities. Economic viability is non-negotiable for farmers – if solutions don’t pencil out, farmers won’t adopt them. Demonstrating that technologies work and deliver clear financial value is proving to be a minimum requirement for adoption, and more applied research is needed to shape policies and incentives that support action on the ground.
Bridging the gap with advisory services
Farmers are navigating a complex and evolving landscape, and many remain in a “wait and see” mode when it comes to methane-reducing technologies. Strengthening extension and advisory services, both public and private, can increase understanding of the tools available to reduce emissions and their ability to impact farmers’ long-term economic feasibility. With targeted investment, they can help build the knowledge and confidence to support informed decision-making and drive adoption at the farm level.
Next steps for the field
Momentum is building, but effective methane mitigation in agriculture depends on more than just breakthrough technologies. Acting to implement the technological developments in the agriculture methane field is crucial, and it requires systems that support adoption through research, extension and advisory capacity, finance, smart policy, and advocacy. These areas must be developed and strengthened globally while accounting for the localized opportunities and challenges.
This is a moment of opportunity. With the right support, methane reductions in agriculture can become a powerful lever for climate action while preserving farmer livelihoods.
