Projects per year
Abstract
1. Outline
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) commissioned the Scottish Rural College (SRUC) to update the abatement potential from a range on-farm measures covering behavioural practices and technological options.
Agriculture currently accounts for around 11% of UK emissions. Based on current understanding, it is not possible to reduce agricultural emissions to zero due to the biological processes inherent in crop and livestock production. However, there are a range of measures and practices that farmers can deploy to reduce emissions from the management of soils, livestock and their wastes and manures.
This report reflects the views of SRUC and does not represent the views of the CCC.
2. Key messages
This report provides the annual abatement potential between 2025 and 2050 from the uptake of 29 measures that cover livestock feed and diets, livestock health, livestock breeding, management of waste and manures, robotic milking, faster finishing beef, and management of arable and grassland soils.
The measures were selected for their efficacy to reduce emissions, low probability of negative co-effects, and for being cost-effective against assumed carbon values.
Under the Balanced Pathway, these measures deliver emissions savings for the UK of around 4 MtCO2e in 2040, which is the middle of the Seventh Carbon Budget period.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) commissioned the Scottish Rural College (SRUC) to update the abatement potential from a range on-farm measures covering behavioural practices and technological options.
Agriculture currently accounts for around 11% of UK emissions. Based on current understanding, it is not possible to reduce agricultural emissions to zero due to the biological processes inherent in crop and livestock production. However, there are a range of measures and practices that farmers can deploy to reduce emissions from the management of soils, livestock and their wastes and manures.
This report reflects the views of SRUC and does not represent the views of the CCC.
2. Key messages
This report provides the annual abatement potential between 2025 and 2050 from the uptake of 29 measures that cover livestock feed and diets, livestock health, livestock breeding, management of waste and manures, robotic milking, faster finishing beef, and management of arable and grassland soils.
The measures were selected for their efficacy to reduce emissions, low probability of negative co-effects, and for being cost-effective against assumed carbon values.
Under the Balanced Pathway, these measures deliver emissions savings for the UK of around 4 MtCO2e in 2040, which is the middle of the Seventh Carbon Budget period.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Prepared for the Climate Change Committee |
| Commissioning body | Committe on Climate Change |
| Number of pages | 84 |
| Publication status | Print publication - 25 Feb 2025 |
Keywords
- Land
- Agricultural
- land use
- CARBON BUDGET
- Environment
- Greenhouse Gas
- Abatement potential
- Marginal abatement cost curve (MACC)
- Natural Environment
- Forestry
Rural Policy Centre Themes
- Environment and climate
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Dive into the research topics of 'Greenhouse gas abatement in UK agriculture 2024-2050: Report submitted to support the 7th carbon budget in the UK'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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CCC CB7 Agriculture
Eory, V. (PI) & Mckay Fletcher, D. (Researcher)
1/11/23 → 30/06/24
Project: Research
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RESAS 22-27: SRUC-c5-1 Modelling The Current And Future Ghg Emissions And Wider Impacts In The Scottish Beef, Sheep And Dairy Sectors.
Eory, V. (PI), Cole, L. (CoI), MacLeod, M. (CoI), Waxenberg, K. (CoI), Cole, L. (CoI), MacLeod, M. (CoI) & Mckay Fletcher, D. (CoI)
Scottish Government: Rural & Environment Science & Analytical Services
1/04/22 → 31/03/25
Project: Research