The cow's amazing ability to sustain itself by eating nothing but grass is one of the marvels of nature, but it comes at a cost.
As grass ferments in the rumen — one of four compartments in the animal's stomach — it naturally produces methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO2, although shorter lived in the atmosphere. That methane is released through belching and farting, and on average, a single cow can produce about 200 pounds of it per year. The gas is also released by manure, and livestock accounts for about a third of human-related methane emissions, which are collectively responsible for about 30% of global warming.
A vaccine could be an alternative, and the Pirbright Institute in the UK, a virology lab focusing on livestock, is leading a three-year study to develop one. "The appeal of a vaccine as part of the solution is that it's a very well adopted, common practice, with infrastructure able to do this already, and people know about the benefits of vaccination for animal health generally," says John Hammond, director of research at The Pirbright Institute.
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Global investment in sustainable construction is accelerating, with a near $2 trillion pipeline of clean industrial projects reshaping the environmental sustainability in construction. Decarbonising the built environment now centres on reducing embodied carbon and whole life carbon across cement and steel production. Institutional capital is driving innovation toward low carbon construction materials and renewable building materials, allowing low carbon design principles to progress from concept to large-scale implementation. Green construction methods are expanding through eco-friendly construction strategies that prioritise life cycle thinking in construction, resource efficiency in construction, and circular construction strategies designed to reduce the carbon footprint of construction.
Cities are positioning sustainable urban development as a core element of climate resilience planning. Global municipalities are seeking more than $105 billion in funding for green infrastructure and nature-based solutions that deliver measurable improvements in building lifecycle performance. These initiatives increasingly require whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment frameworks to align with net zero carbon buildings targets. The uptake of environmental product declarations (EPDs), BREEAM and the forthcoming BREEAM V7 standards reflects a clear commitment to evidence-based sustainable building practices and eco-design for buildings that meet low-impact construction and circular economy in construction goals.
The skills shortage threatens this progress. The UK faces a deficit of at least 14,000 trade apprentices within the green construction sector, limiting capacity for sustainable building design and life cycle cost optimisation. This talent gap risks slowing the transition to net zero whole life carbon operations and undermines cost control on major projects. Expansion of training in sustainable material specification, carbon footprint reduction, and end-of-life reuse in construction is essential to secure both project delivery and compliance with evolving embodied carbon in materials benchmarks.
Global climate policy fragmentation is adding pressure. Divergent national commitments create uncertainty for carbon neutral construction investors while the EU’s focus on low embodied carbon materials and comprehensive lifecycle frameworks strengthens its position as a leader in sustainable architecture and circular economy policy. The convergence of technology, governance, and skill development defines the next decade for sustainable design. Those integrating whole life carbon principles and rigorous life cycle thinking into procurement and project management will define the future of energy-efficient buildings and ensure the long-term competitiveness of the green building products sector.
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