Fifth report into carbon reduction calls for more help for farmers to reduce their carbon footprints

The National Assembly for Wales’ Sustainability Committee has today(July 21) launched its fifth report into carbon reduction in Wales.

This report looks at the issue of carbon reduction by changing the way we use and manage land in Wales.

The committee felt that farmers needed more assistance from the Welsh Government in measuring their carbon footprint.

Members also want the Welsh Government to develop methods of sharing scientific advances with farmers and landowners with a view to promoting their positive effect on carbon reduction.

Furthermore, the committee also heard evidence about the importance of retaining as much carbons as possible in the soil.

“It is currently estimated that in the 23.4% of land surface in Wales which is covered by peats, organic and organo-mineral soils, there is 500 mega tonnes of carbon already stored,” said committee chair, Mick Bates AM.

“I hope this report begins to address the complex scientific picture in this field and outlines key actions that the different use of land, including agriculture and forestry can take to help reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses in Wales.”

The Main recommendations of the report are:

• The Welsh Government should review the funding for Glastir annually to ensure that sufficient funding is in place to cope with demand.

• The Welsh Government should promote the economic benefits of the carbon saving measures contained within Glastir as part of the scheme.

• The Welsh Government should lobby the UK Government and the EU to ensure that carbon reduction is a key objective of any payment scheme covering all farms in the next review of the Common Agricultural Policy.   

• a dedicated carbon reduction information service for farmers and land managers.

• The Welsh Government should support the development and roll out of a carbon footprinting tool which can be accessed and used by all farmers and land managers as soon as possible. The rollout of the tool should be accompanied by the production and provision of advice and help for using the tool which is accessible to all farmers and land managers.

• The Welsh Government should develop methods of sharing new scientific advances with farmers and landowners with a view to promoting their positive effect on carbon reduction as well as economic benefits.

• The Welsh Government should agree a baseline figure of the amount of carbon currently held in organic soils in Wales and that figure should be used by all the organisations working on the issue in Wales.

• The Welsh Government support the research currently being done into the conservation of carbon in soils in Wales and uses the findings of the research to inform land use and agricultural policy as soon as it becomes available.

• The Welsh Government lobbies the UK Government and the EU to ensure that soils are given high level regulatory protection.

• The Welsh Government support the research currently being done into carbon fluxes in soils for tree planting in Wales and uses the findings of the research to inform land use and agricultural policy as soon as it becomes available.

• The Welsh Government supports the Forestry Commission in establishing and marketing wood products as alternative materials on a commercial scale.

• The Welsh Government carries out research into the ways in which it could implement a carbon trading scheme wholly or partly within the land use sector.

1) The report will be launched at the National Assembly for Wales’ stand at the Royal Welsh Show, in Llanelwedd, at 12Noon.