New frameworks to help farmers assess and reduce their emissions
30th March 2023
Following calls from the farming sector for more opportunities to access the carbon market, the government has today (30th March) launched two new schemes as part of its commitment to develop a new harmonised approach for measuring on farm emissions.
The schemes, namely the Net Zero Growth Plan and the Nature Markets Framework, incorporate evidence on the role of robust monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions on farms.
A lack of confidence in existing tools for farmers to measure their emissions and inconsistency in the results has led to low uptake of available support from the industry. In response, the government has developed a harmonised methodology for assessing carbon footprint and will set out how farmers will be supported in measuring and reducing their emissions – including from livestock, nutrient management, and farm equipment – by 2024.
Farming minister Mark Spencer said: “We’ve been listening to the farming sector, and the measures announced today will not only help them to calculate their carbon footprint, but also open up new financial opportunities, such as combining private commercial opportunities with our new farming schemes support.”
Through the new Nature Markets Framework, the government is accelerating the growth of these markets to create more opportunities for farmers to access private sector funding for delivering positive outcomes for nature.
The framework will support nature markets to grow in a way that makes them fair, effective and accessible to farmers. In addition, the Green Finance Institute will develop an online toolkit to help farmers identify and access private payments for environmental benefits.
Advice for accessing nature markets is available through the Landscape Recovery development phase, with the government also looking at facilitating collaboration through Countryside Stewardship.
Moreover, the government is seeking to raise over £1 billion per year in private finance for nature’s recovery by 2030, ensuring farmers receive compensation for their efforts and are able to build on existing projects.
The measures announced complement support that is already in place to help the agricultural sector reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach net zero by 2040, such as Environmental Land Management schemes.
