Annette Freibauer

Land-use change to bioenergy production in Europe: implications for the greenhouse gas balance and soil carbon

Bioenergy from crops is expected to make a considerable contribution to climate change mitigation. However, bioenergy is not necessarily carbon neutral because emissions of CO2, N2O and CH4 during crop production may reduce or completely counterbalance CO2 savings of the substituted fossil fuels. These greenhouse gases (GHGs) need to be included into the carbon footprint calculation of different bioenergy crops under a range of soil conditions and management practices. This review compiles existing knowledge on agronomic and environmental constraints and GHG balances of the major European bioenergy crops, although it focuses on dedicated perennial crops such as Miscanthus and short rotation coppice species. Such second‐generation crops account for only 3% of the current European bioenergy production, but field data suggest they emit 40% to >99% less N2O than conventional annual crops. This is a result of lower fertilizer requirements as well as a higher N‐use efficiency, due to effective N‐recycling. Perennial energy crops have the potential to sequester additional carbon in soil biomass if established on former cropland (0.44 Mg soil C ha−1 yr−1 for poplar and willow and 0.66 Mg soil C ha−1 yr−1 for Miscanthus). However, there was no positive or even negative effects on the C balance if energy crops are established on former grassland. Increased bioenergy production may also result in direct and indirect land‐use changes with potential high C losses when native vegetation is converted to annual crops. Although dedicated perennial energy crops have a high potential to improve the GHG balance of bioenergy production, several agronomic and economic constraints still have to be overcome.

Calculations of gaseous and particulate emissions from German agriculture 1990 - 2012 : Report on methods and data (RMD) Submission 2014

The report at hand (including a comprehensive annex of data) serves as additional document to the National Inventory Report (NIR) on the German green house gas emissions and the Informative Inventory Report (IIR) on the German emissions of air pollutants (especially ammonia). The report documents the calculation methods used in the German agricultural inventory model GAS-EM as well as input data, emission results and uncertainties of the emission reporting submission 2014 for the years 1990 - 2012. In this context the sector Agriculture comprises the emissions from animal husbandry and the use of agricultural soils. As required by the guidelines, emissions from activities preceding agriculture, from the use of energy and from land use change are reported elsewhere in the national inventories. The calculation methods are based in principle on international guidelines for emission reporting and have been continuingly improved during the past years. This concerns especially the calculation of energy requirements, feeding and the N balance of the most important animal categories. In addition, technical mitigation measures such as air scrubbing and digestion of slurry have been taken into account. [...]

Handlungsoptionen für den Klimaschutz in der deutschen Agrar- und Forstwirtschaft

Gegenstand des Berichts ist die Rolle der UNFCCC-Quellgruppen Landwirtschaft sowie Landnutzung, Landnutzungsanderung und Forstwirtschaft (land use, land use change and forestry, LULUCF) bei der kunftigen Reduzierung von THG-Emissionen in Deutschland. In Kapitel 2 werden Stand und Entwicklung der THG-Emissionen dieser Quellgruppen anhand der Daten aus der nationalen Emissionsberichterstattung dargestellt. Die Weiterentwicklung der klimaschutzpolitischen Rahmenbedingungen wird in Kapitel 3 nachgezeichnet, wobei die fur Landwirtschaft und LULUCF relevanten Aspekte naher beleuchtet werden. Aufbauend auf einen Uberblick uber klimaschutzpolitische Aktivitaten von Bund und Landern in der Land-, Forst- und Holzwirtschaft (Kapitel 4) werden in Kapitel 5 konkrete Masnahmenoptionen beschrieben und bewertet. Der Bericht schliest mit Empfehlungen zur Umsetzung. Da fur den Forst- und Holzbereich bereits ausgearbeitete Strategien vorliegen, besteht Handlungsbedarf besonders bezuglich der Frage, wie die Landwirtschaft kunftig in nationale Klimaschutzziele eingebunden werden soll.

Calculations of gaseous and particulate emissions from German agriculture 1990 - 2016 : report on methods and data (RMD) submission 2018

The report at hand (including a comprehensive annex of data) serves as additional document to the National Inventory Report (NIR) on the German green house gas emissions and the Informative Inventory Report (IIR) on the German emissions of air pollutants (especially ammonia). The report documents the calculation methods used in the German agricultural inventory model GAS-EM as well as input data, emission results and uncertainties of the emission reporting submission 2018 for the years 1990 - 2016. In this context the sector Agriculture comprises the emissions from animal husbandry, the use of agricultural soils and anaerobic digestion of energy crops. As required by the guidelines, emissions from activities preceding agriculture, from the use of energy and from land use change are reported elsewhere in the national inventories. In this context the sector Agriculture comprises the emissions from animal husbandry, the use of agricultural soils and anaerobic digestion of energy crops. As required by the guidelines, emissions from activities preceding agriculture, from the use of energy and from land use change are reported elsewhere in the national inventories...