Estimating the carbon footprint of dairy cattle in the district of Karapınar, in the province of Konya

Global warming refers to the increase in the amount of heat resulting from the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. One of the prominent strategies to mitigate global warming in the face of an increasing world population is to regulate the livestock sector. The effect of cattle on global warming is through the release of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4). The carbon footprint can be defined as the damage caused to the environment by the amount of greenhouse gases in the form of carbon dioxide resulting from the activities of living beings. One of the places where dairy farming is performed intensively in Türkiye is the district of Karapınar in the province of Konya. According to the data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, the total number of dairy cattle in the district of Karapınar was 28,186 heads in 2018 and 32,405 heads in 2019. The difference of 4,219 heads is estimated to raise the carbon footprint potential by 426.4 kg CO2e year-1 in 2019 compared to 2018. When the increase per animal was calculated, the result was 0.01 kg CO2e year-1. This calculation was made utilising the Tier-1 method, using the equations provided in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 guide. In the guide, the methods Tier-2 and Tier-3 are also specified, and more detailed methods are planned for future studies