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Lack of ambition for farming in national climate plans

In a recent report titled “Much Ado About Nothing”, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) evaluates nine draft updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), revealing a lack of ambitious measures and long-term strategies for tackling greenhouse gas emissions from the farming sector. Despite the sector’s significant contribution to climate change, most member states have so far refrained from setting specific emissions reduction targets or implementing well-designed policies.

The report emphasises the need to address the direct sources of greenhouse gas emissions, including the overuse of synthetic fertilisers, intensive farming practices, and peatland degradation.

Only the Netherlands are proposing substantial measures to reduce animal numbers.

Efforts to address emissions from excessive fertiliser use primarily focus on efficiency improvements and techno-fixes, which are believed to deliver insufficient emission reductions. The EEB would rather see the promotion of agroecological practices to restore soil fertility and reduce dependency on fertilisers.

Furthermore, the updated draft NECPs of member states are criticised for falling short of the necessary ambition to effectively tackle emissions from farming on drained peatlands. The EEB report highlights the imperative need for more robust and comprehensive strategies to meet climate targets in the agricultural sector across the European Union.

EEB, October 2023, “Much ado about nothing? An assessment of nine updated draft national energy and climate plans”, https://eeb.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/An-assessment-of-9-updated-dr...

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