New Zealand is planning to tax the burps of cows and sheep.
New Zealand is planning to tax cow burps
The proposal would make the country the first in the world to charge farmers for the gases emitted from their livestock and aims to tackle one of the nation's biggest sources of greenhouse gases.
New Zealand is home to around 10 million cattle and 26 million sheep and nearly half of its total greenhouse gases come from farming in the form of methane.
Under the new plans, farmers will have to pay for their animal's belches from 2025.
Climate Change Minister James Shaw said: "There is no question that we need to cut the amount of methane we are putting into the atmosphere, and an effective pricing system for agriculture will play a key part in how we achieve that."
The proposal includes incentives for farmers who are able to reduce the emissions from their animals while revenue from the scheme will be invested in research and development services for the agricultural industry.