Our thoughts on the Committee on Climate Change’s Seventh Carbon Budget

This week the Committee on Climate Change published its Seventh Carbon Budget. Here Environment Director Chris Gooderham gives AHDB's thoughts on the report's findings.

The much anticipated Seventh Carbon Budget (CB7) was released this week by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). We welcome the CB7’s recognition of what agriculture can deliver.

This includes the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase carbon capture in peatland and perennial/woody vegetation, as well as producing renewable energy and bio-based products. It is also important that the CCC has acknowledged the cost to deliver these benefits.

We were also pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to two advisory groups that helped shape the CCC’s thinking. These were the Agriculture Advisory Group and Food and Trade Group.

While not everything discussed and challenged was adopted by the CCC, the publication of the Agriculture Advisory Group chair’s report alongside this budget demonstrates the breadth and depth of the areas discussed. 

Soil carbon an overlooked opportunity

In terms of the journey to net zero, we believe gaps remain. For instance, there is no recognition of soil carbon stock increases (other than in peatland). We believe this provides a massive opportunity, and indeed, figures from the ArcZero project in Northern Ireland showed more than 90% of the farm’s carbon was in the soil, not in the trees and hedges.

To help understand the size of that opportunity, AHDB is leading a baselining project to accurately measure the environmental credentials of farms across the UK. The data from this project will help determine the actions farmers could take to increase soil carbon stocks, as well as reduce emissions.

It will also demonstrate the positive environmental contribution already being made by farmers, which can hopefully be reflected in future carbon budgets.

While the CCC’s focus is on the UK’s journey to net zero, we must remember that environmental sustainability is not just about net zero, and we need to be mindful of the implications on other elements such as water quality, biodiversity and soil health.

Pushing for ambitious increases in crop yields, for example, may have knock-on implications on other environmental metrics. Equally, well-managed grazing lands provide important habitats for wildlife and help to enhance ecosystems.

Livestock essential for sustainability and food security

We understand the remit of the CCC is focused on the UK, however this limited scope ignores the fact that climate change and food security are global challenges.

UK farming is among the most sustainable in the world, not only essential to protecting national food security, but also to supporting global nutritional needs through responsible agricultural production.

As well as feeding our own population, we can export nutrient-dense foods to countries that are unable to meet the same levels of sustainability as the UK.

The proposed drop in livestock numbers is concerning and we should be wary of sweeping changes to free up agricultural land for other enterprises. The integration of livestock into the circular economy is essential for addressing food waste and enhancing resource efficiency within primary production.

By repurposing inedible plant parts and surplus food into highly nutritious animal products, we can improve nutrient cycling and reduce the demand for additional feed crop.

In addition, the integration of livestock into farming systems provides further benefits through natural manure application, which enhances soil fertility, improves structure, and replenishes nutrients for crop growth.

This organic input reduces the reliance on synthetic fertilizers, supporting a more sustainable, resilient approach to agriculture.

Methane reporting needs reform

The CCC is obliged to rely on GWP100 to calculate the journey towards net zero and therefore set mitigations and targets based on this data.

We remain concerned this method ignores the fact methane is a short-lived gas and so misrepresents the warming effect it has.

Measurements such as GWP*, or a split gas approach, better reflect the warming impact of short-lived gases. This is particularly important for biogenic methane, which comes from livestock as part of the natural cycle of our environment.

A 35% reduction in the consumption of meat by 2050 has been recommended. However, balancing dietary change with self-sufficiency creates challenges for the industry’s ability to cut emissions and maintain food security.

A sustainable food system doesn’t necessarily require less meat and dairy, but a focus on improving the sustainability of its production.

The key is not to overproduce or underproduce, but to optimise production for both environmental health and global food security, ensuring livestock farming remains sustainable without compromising the planet's future or the health of populations worldwide.

The beef and lamb sector has recently launched its Environmental Roadmap. This a is a big, collaborative step forward towards outlining how production can move towards net zero and we look forward to seeing how that develops over the coming year. 

We will be releasing more detailed analysis on the CCC CB7 in the coming weeks.