The National Farmers' Union (NFU) decided in 2019 to set an ambitious target for agriculture in England and Wales to reach net-zero by 2040, 10 years before the national net-zero target of 2050 as set in the Climate Change Act 2008. When this target was launched, it was described as a "national aspiration" rather than an expectation.
Now the NFU believes that the target is unlikely to be achieved, partly due to a lack of investment in climate-friendly farming measures by recent governments. However, whilst it believes the target to be now difficult to achieve, the NFU will not drop or amend it just yet.
Farming accounts for around 12% of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions, mainly nitrous oxide from fertilisers and manure, carbon dioxide from energy and methane from livestock. However, most of the work to reduce emissions from farming is left to individual farms which can receive funding through environmental land management schemes from the Government. NFU president Tom Bradshaw believes that in order for farming to make a real impact on emissions, more investment is needed from Government so that farmers can produce food whilst also delivering for the environment.
Whilst emissions from agriculture have decreased between 1990 and 2022, the Climate Change Committee has warned that overall progress to reduce emissions is slow and needs to speed up. And now, whilst there is a call for more investment into agriculture to aid the emissions target, it is thought the Government is wanting to reduce the budget by £100m.
A spokesperson from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that the government was "committed to reducing emissions in the farming sector and restoring confidence amongst farmers which is at a record low".
"That is why we will restore stability and confidence by optimising our schemes and grants, to ensure we protect our food security, assist nature’s recovery and drive down emissions.
"But we will go further to support our farmers by protecting them from being undercut in trade deals, making the supply chain work more fairly and preventing shock rises in bills by switching on GB Energy."
