National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory: what agriculture needs to understand (and apply)

How official data on greenhouse gas emissions and removals directly impact the future of agriculture—and where to start taking action.

The global climate agenda is increasingly intertwined with the day-to-day operations of agriculture. Between Brazil's commitments, traceability requirements, and markets paying close attention to their carbon footprint, understanding how emissions are officially measured has become strategic for producers, technicians, and managers.

This is where the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory comes in—the official tool used by Brazil to report its emissions and removals. But what does it have to do with agriculture? The short answer: everything.

What is the National GHG Inventory?

The Inventory is a tool that estimates, based on internationally recognized methodologies (IPCC), how much greenhouse gases a country emits and removes each year. It covers five sectors: Energy, IPPU (industrial processes), Waste, Land Use (LULUCF), and Agriculture .

More than a report, the Inventory guides public policies, international targets (such as the Brazilian NDC), and supports strategic decisions on financing, monitoring, and international positioning.

Where does agriculture appear in this scenario?

Agriculture appears as a sector in its own right , with specific sources such as:

• Enteric fermentation of ruminants (CH₄)

• Waste management (CH₄ and N₂O)

• Use of fertilizers (N₂O)

• Irrigated rice cultivation

• Burning of agricultural waste

But agriculture also contributes to emissions in the energy (fuel use on farms), waste (effluent management and composting) and land use (deforestation, reforestation, ILPF, etc.) sectors.

In other words: agriculture is present in several areas of the country's emissions map . And knowing where it is is the first step to taking action.

How are these emissions calculated?

The methodology is based on the formula:

Emission = Activity Data × Emission Factor

This means: knowing how much of the activity occurred (how many animals, how much fertilizer, how many tons produced) and applying a technical factor that indicates how much this activity emits.

The IPCC defines three levels of methodological sophistication, called Tiers :

• Tier 1: generic, with global data

• Tier 2: with national and regional data

• Tier 3 : with specific models and direct measurements

Brazil already uses Tier 2 or 3 for 95% of agricultural sources , ensuring representation of our productive reality.

Why are CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O so important?

Each gas has a different impact on global warming. Global Warming Potential (GWP) compares this effect relative to CO₂. For example:

• CH₄ (methane): 28 times more potent than CO₂

• N₂O (nitrous oxide): 265 times more potent

In the Inventory, all gases are converted to CO₂ equivalent (CO₂eq) , allowing emissions to be added and compared in a standardized way.

This has a direct impact on livestock farming: reducing methane or nitrous oxide generates a proportionally greater climate return.

What about removals? Agriculture also captures carbon

The inventory looks not only at what is emitted, but also at what is removed from the atmosphere. Practices such as:

• ILPF

• Reforestation

• Pasture recovery

• Increase in organic matter in the soil

...can be recorded as carbon removals , helping to generate a more positive climate balance. And this has direct potential to increase the value of properties, brands, and products.

How can we bring this to the farm?

The inventory is national, but its logic can be applied within the farm . Tools like PEC Calc , developed by ESGpec, allow you to calculate the carbon footprint of dairy production based on the same concepts used in Brazil.

By measuring consistently, you can:

• Diagnose the main points of emission

• Assess the impact of sustainable practices

• Communicate results in a technical and reliable way

• Prepare for certifications and incentive programs

Conclusion: understand to transform

Understanding the National GHG Inventory is much more than just knowing a technical document—it's accessing a climate management framework that can (and should) be translated into the agricultural reality.

And that is the purpose of ESGpec's new eBook: to help the field understand its position in the climate context, measure safely and position itself strategically in the present and future of sustainable production.

📖 Download the free eBook “National GHG Inventory – A reading applied to the agricultural context” at esgpec.com.br/ebooks