Industry raises concerns over new climate change target

Industry leaders have warned the Government's new target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 compared with 1990 levels could have ‘unintended' consequences for Britain's livestock sector. The world's most ambitious climate change target will be enshrined in law by the end of June 2021, increasing the current target of a 68 per cent reduction by 2030.Norman Bagley, policy director at the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, told Farmers Guardian he was not surprised by the target. "The main post-Common Agricultural Policy challenge to livestock producers is the environment and climate change blob in Defra who hold livestock production with barely concealed contempt and would love to end it in commercial terms," he said. "Environmental measures of future schemes could imply destocking in order for farmers to receive payment, without directly stating it."He questioned whether increased livestock prices would be enough for farmers to turn down schemes and still make up the funding gap.Inadequate Phil Stocker, National Sheep Association chief executive, added the holistic benefits of sheep farming and grassland were still not adequately measured or understood and warned taking action without full knowledge would be dangerous. "Sheep farmers have the scope to reduce emissions without changing the fundamentals of what they do, and I would see most gains being made by genetic selection and health and parasite efficiencies," Mr Stocker said. Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, also urged the Government to consider nutrition, food security, health and economic factors, as well as environmental impact, when evaluating its future plans to reach the target. Maintain But more positively, the Government has said it will maintain people's freedom of choice on diet, refusing to follow the Climate Change Committee's recommendation on cutting meat and dairy consumption. Big opportunities would also be in store for the livestock sector as society started to value carbon, Stuart Roberts, NFU deputy president, has said. He confirmed the union's ambition to reach net zero by 2040 remained unchanged. "Livestock farmers are in a unique position since permanent pastures are an effective way of locking up carbon," Mr Roberts said. "The challenge is how it is done and valued alongside core food production." Mr Stocker added: "Sheep farmers manage vast areas of land that could do more to capture and store carbon, as well as create biodiverse countryside. "This is exactly what ELMs is aiming to encourage and in the main is about enhancing a predominantly farmed environment rather than doing away with it." Offsetting Launching its CO2 offsetting scheme, Mootral, a Swiss agritech company, has asked companies and individuals to buy 'CowCredits' for approximately £60, equivalent to one tonne of CO2. Rather than planting trees, it is understood the credits will go towards purchasing cattle feed which can reduce methane output. Mootral chief executive Thomas Hafner said it was time to help cows become part of the solution in the global climate change fight. But some farmers on social media said the move showed they were already being cut out of the carbon market.