UK's 'Countryside COP' returns ahead of COP27 in Egypt

The UK's Countryside COP will be held 10-14 October, four weeks before the start of the UN's Climate Change Conference in Egypt
The UK's Countryside COP will be held 10-14 October, four weeks before the start of the UN's Climate Change Conference in Egypt

Countryside COP is back this October, bringing farmers and the wider rural sector together to showcase their net zero activity ahead of November's COP27 in Egypt.

Now in its second year, Countryside COP will host a variety of rural organisations showcasing what the industry is doing to help the UK's net zero goals.

Groups will demonstrate all that the industry has achieved so far and how agriculture can continue to play a key role in achieving climate change ambitions.

The programme, which takes place between 10-14 October, will include themes such as finance, science and technology, and nature-based solutions and land use.

The Agriculture & Land Use Alliance (ALA), which includes the likes of the NFU, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) and the AHDB, will host the programme.

The group said it will use the outcomes from the event to collate recommendations for policy-makers, farmers, researchers, investors, the supply chain and the wider rural economy.

Representatives of the alliance said: “All of us have a part to play in the journey to net zero and we are stronger when working together.

"The Countryside COP isn’t just an opportunity for farmers, but for anyone with an interest in the countryside and rural economy and an ambition to reach net zero.

“We encourage as many people as possible to get involved in the Countryside COP so we can share all our knowledge and help rural areas to maximise their contribution to the government’s net zero target."

Countryside COP will take place four weeks before the start of the UN's Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt.

What are this year's Countryside COP's themes?

Events included in this year's programme will include:

• Soil health and water security

• Challenges for farming on lowland peat

• Hitting biodiversity and carbon objectives: Two Norfolk case studies

• YEN Zero discussion workshop: The role of crop productivity in reaching agriculture net-zero

• Dairy roadmap stakeholders forum

• Net zero from productive grasslands

• How to install renewable energy projects on your farm

• Land manager collaboration for environmental delivery

• 'Beyond the Farm Gate' virtual farm tour

• Financing Green: The role of external finance in helping UK farming achieve net zero goals

• Sustainable soil solutions

• How can science and services help global food supply?