How does the UK compare to other nations when it comes to addressing climate change? Policymakers from around the world are due to assemble in Scotland next year when the UK hosts critical climate change talks. We explore the likely impact of the event and take a look at what measures are being implemented elsewhere
Coronavirus may have forced this November’s ‘COP26’ gathering to be cancelled, but 30,000 heads of state, policymakers, scientists and campaigners still plan to descend on Glasgow next year for two weeks of intense talks aimed at halting climate change.
Countries have been meeting annually at the Conference of the Parties (COP) since 1995, part of their commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
But time is running out. ‘It’s definitely the most important conference since Paris [when countries agreed to limit global warming to 1.5C], and arguably ever,’ says Dave Reay, Professor of Carbon Management at the University of Edinburgh.
‘It will determine our global direction of travel on emissions for the next decade and whether we still have a fighting chance of achieving the Paris Climate Goals.’
The UK is in a good position to lead, says Prof Reay. ‘Through our Climate Change Act and bodies such as the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) I think the UK is really well respected. We have already committed to what is required at the top-level – net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. COP26 will be crucial in building a coalition of nations that make the same commitment.’
There are already calls to link COP26 objectives with economic recovery plans following Covid-19, says Dr Jason Beedell, rural research director at Strutt & Parker. This follows the publication of an Oxford University study which found that compared to conventional stimulus spending, green projects have the potential to deliver a greater economic benefit.
With growing awareness of agriculture as both a contributor and solution to climate change, the sector could feature in discussions more than before, he says.
‘As COP approaches, I would anticipate a series of policy announcements aimed at achieving action - the clear message from the CCC is ‘do it now’. We have the policy direction and now need to actually do it.’
Priorities set out by the CCC give an indication of what these plans could look like.
‘Land managers will be incentivised to take some land out of food production for carbon storage, energy production and restoring natural systems’, says Dr Beedell. ‘According to the CCC, even with some land used for other purposes we can still grow enough food if the best, most productive farmers are farming it.’
In an attempt to reduce the country’s high nitrogen emissions, the Dutch government plans to allocate €500m (£435m) to buy out livestock farmers who want to quit and to help others make their operations more sustainable. This is on top of a €180m (£156m) package to help pig farmers leave the sector.
The government announced in December 2019 that all decisions will now be made through a climate crisis lens, with climate change a standard part of cabinet decision-making. This is likely to have implications for farmers and add to recent pledges to plant 1bn trees by 2028, and tax farmers who fail to cut emissions.
A new climate action plan aims to reduce farming’s GHG emissions by 10-15% by 2030, and use the sector to remove 26.8Mt of CO2 from the atmosphere.
The plan is still under consultation, but ideas include requiring new outside slurry stores to be covered, clover to be incorporated into grass reseeds and 50% of arable spring production to include cover crops.
The Terraton Initiative, set up by agricultural and digital company Indigo Ag, aims to draw 1 trillion tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. The hope is that growers can earn $15-20/tonne of carbon stored, from changes to tillage, increasing soil organic matter and reducing inputs. The scheme has been launched in the US, but the ambition is to go global.
Under the Farming For a Better Climate programme, four young farmers and crofters have been appointed to champion a cultural and behavioural shift towards low-carbon, environmentally sustainable farming. They will trial and develop ideas on their own farms which could provide practical solutions to help climate change mitigation.
Landowners and farmers who adopt approved Emission Reduction Fund (ERF) methods can earn Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) which can be sold through a reverse auction to the government, or to other businesses seeking to offset their emissions. Successful projects include capturing methane produced by livestock, revegetating unproductive pastures and storing carbon in the soil.
jason.beedell@struttandparker.com