Agriculture
Minister Jim Paice has challenged farmers to live up to their
commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaking at the launch of the farming industry’s Greenhouse Gas
Action Plan, Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said:
“Our farmers are making an important commitment to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions and we will continue to support them to
achieve this. I’d really like to see the industry seizing this
opportunity and I look forward to seeing real action in farms
across the country.
“This is the first step on the farming sector’s road to becoming
more sustainable and I expect the partner organisations to show
clear leadership as industry works to meet this challenge.”
The Minister thanked the National Farmers Union, the Country Land
and Business Association, and the Agricultural Industries
Confederation for their work to coordinate the plan's delivery.
The farming industry's progress will be reviewed in 2012
as part of a wider Government review of how different activities,
including Government policy, affect agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Notes for editors
Meeting the challenge: Agricultural Industry GHG Action Plan, is
available to download from http://www.nfuonline.com/ghgap
Agriculture contributes approximately 9 per cent of the UK total
of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the single largest emitter of
nitrous oxide (76 per cent of UK total) and accounts for 38 per
cent of the UK’s methane emissions, and only contributes around 1
per cent of UK total carbon dioxide emissions.
The Government is supporting the agricultural sector to reduce
its emissions by:
investing £12.6m to improve science base and measurement of
on-farm emissions (Agriculture GHG Inventory);launching a pilot
scheme to offer integrated advice to farmers on land management
and reducing emissions;working with supply chains to reduce their
emissions; andlooking at other ways that policy can support the
industry, for example through reform of the Common Agricultural
Policy.
The GHGAP has been launched by sixteen organisations representing
the agricultural industry in England, led by the National Farmers
Union, the Agricultural Industries Confederation and the Country
Land and Business Association.
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Contacts:
Defra Press Office
Phone: 020 7238 6600
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Amanda Waller
Phone: 020 7238 5608
amanda.waller@defra.gsi.gov.uk