The 2040 net zero goals for the UK farming sector are being called into question by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). The NFU has told the BBC that there has been a lack of investment from the previous government in climate-friendly farming measures making it ‘tricky’ to reach those goals.[1]
Figure 1: Top View of Green Field.
The NFU Target
The Climate Change Act sets a legally-binding target for the UK to reach net zero by 2050, and improving the greenhouse gas emissions produced by farming will significantly contribute to achieving this. Farming is currently responsible around 12% of the UK’s total emissions which is predominantly due to the nitrous oxide in fertilisers and manure from ruminant livestock. As a result of this, the NFU set its own target, in 2019, to reach net zero by 2040 for England and Wales and 2045 for Scotland. This target was described as a ‘national aspiration, not an expectation that every farm can reach net zero’.
To reach this target, help is being provided to farmers to develop more sustainable production methods, including soil management methods such as carbon-capture. The government is providing help through post-Brexit farm payment systems, known as land management schemes (ELMs). However, the NFU have claimed that the government have not invested enough into ‘climate-friendly measures’ under these schemes, making it increasingly difficult for the target to be reached. [2].
Government Funding
The president of the NFU, Tom Bradshaw, spoke on Back British Farming Day earlier this week asking for the UK’s total agriculture budget to be increased from £3.5bn to £5.6bn. This call for further funding has arisen after fears the government is looking to reduce the farming budget by £100m.
Other industry experts, including the CEO of environmental coalition Wildlife and Countryside Link and the Soil Associations’ policy director, have also expressed their concern that without radical changes British farming will not be able to reach these goals.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has stated that the government are still ‘committed to reducing emissions’ and want to optimise schemes and grants to ‘protect our food security’. However, it appears that the NFU is losing confidence in their urgent calls for assistance.
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References
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze5759g5e5o Last accessed: 13.09.24
[2] https://www.energylivenews.com/2024/09/11/uk-farmings-net-zero-target-under-threat/ Last accessed: 13.09.24
[3] Tom Fisk (2018) from Pexels.com. Last accessed on 15th September 2024. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/top-view-of-green-field-1595104/
