Thursday, October 29, 2020

Changes in EU climate change targets will affect agriculture

 Alan Matthews discusses the implications of the EU's 2030 climate target plan for agriculture: http://capreform.eu/commissions-2030-climate-target-plan-proposes-radical-changes-in-the-rules-governing-agricultural-and-land-ghg-emissions/

He notes, 'For the EU27, agricultural emissions are currently 18% of Effort Sharing Reglulation (ESR) emissions; this share would increase to 40% under the second option in the Commission’s Impact Assessment. As such, the national ESR reduction target would become almost a de facto reduction target for agriculture as it would no longer be possible to avoid reductions in agricultural emissions if the national reduction target were to be met. It would also have very different consequences for individual Member States.'

There are some complex issues and a short window of opportunity to influence policy.