This paper considers uncertainties in estimating global N2O emissions from agriculture and in projecting future emissions. As regards mitigation, it highlights the potential achievable through dietary change (away from meat and dairy consumption), and of food waste reductions.

Mexico is the second country in the world to have to have instituted legally binding targets on GHG emission reductions.  The law mandates a reduction in CO2 emissions by 30% below business-as-usual levels by 2020, and by 50% below 2000 levels by 2050 (note that this is a relative target – the UK’s target is an absolute one)

This paper finds that in 2007–2008, oil palm plantations directly caused 27% of total and 40% of peatland deforestation. Under a business as usual (BAU) scenario, by 2020 ∼40% of regional and 35% of community lands will be cleared for oil palm, generating 26% of net carbon emissions.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 17th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory. 

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has published its provisional 2011 estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions, together with final estimates of 2010 UK greenhouse gas emissions by fuel type and end-user.

A paper about international trade, consumption-based carbon emissions, and human development

This paper runs a series of future trade liberalisation scenarios using the MAGPIE model and finds that while trade liberalisation lowers food costs it does so at the expense of higher GHG emissions.

This study finds that measures to tackle methane and black carbon emissions could reduce global warming by about 0.5°C by 2050.  It would also lower the burden of premature deaths and increase crop yields. 

For analysis and commentary on the outcome from Durban, you may want to  have a look at the following links – we're copying many of them from Carbon Brief’s always useful and interesting daily e-newsletter: see here for more http://www.carbonbrief.org/