Effort Sharing Decision for GHG emissions could include 'flexibilities' for agri sector

Proposal on new 30% greenhouse gas reduction target
Proposal on new 30% greenhouse gas reduction target

The forthcoming Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) proposal on greenhouse gas emissions reduction could include 'flexibilities' for the farming sector, based on offsetting by sources of carbon sinks such as forests.

Currently expected to be issued by 10 July, the Effort Sharing Decision will propose how to allocate a new 30% emissions reduction target (part of the EU commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030) among Member States for non-industrial sectors including transport, buildings, waste and agriculture.

The Member States’ ESD targets will be based on their GDP, with some consideration given to the cost-effectiveness of emissions reductions for richer member states.

EU Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete said that the proposal would provide flexibility for agriculture through measures on land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF).

In practice this could mean offsetting agriculture emissions with forestry.

Investment in organic agriculture & agroecology are part of the solution for climate change, not offsetting agriculture emissions with forestry, the Soil Association has said.

"This is despite the fact that emissions from agriculture represent a significant share of emissions in many Member States, and are projected to represent one third of total EU emissions by 2050.

"The Commission is justifying the potential flexibility for the agriculture sector on the October 2014 European Council conclusions, which explicitly mention 'the lower mitigation potential of agriculture' and 'the need to ensure food security.'

"NGOs believe that the agriculture sector should do its part in the European effort to prevent dangerous climate change, and not be exempted from significant action at the expense of other economic sectors," said the Soil Association.