Emissions from agriculture overtake electricity for first time: comment

“These figures confirm what some had already predicted [2] – that the share of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has for the first time exceeded electricity supply. Emissions from agriculture and land use have been flat since 2008. As other sectors put in place plans to decarbonise, farming risks becoming one of the biggest emitters in the UK economy [3].
 
“And yet farming is the sector perhaps most exposed to the risks of climate change. We’ve just seen one of the worst harvests in decades in the UK, as farmers battled through the wettest 18 months on record and relentless winter rainfall, made worse by climate change [5]. We will only see more terrible harvests and flooded and drought stricken farms in the future if we don’t do more now to move faster towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
 
“In the meantime, farmers will need more support to adapt and build resilience. New green farming payments can provide a lifeline here, helping farmers to invest in their soils and in the hedgerows and trees that will protect their crops and local communities from flooding.”