GHG Emissions and Reduc0ons in Agriculture What is happening in the - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

GHG Emissions and Reduc0ons in Agriculture What is happening in the EU?

Rob Vierhout, MSc

ISCC Sustainability Conference 27 October 2016 - São Paulo

The EU Energy & Climate policy post 2020 The Agricultural sector and its emissions Concluding remarks

Agenda

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

Why ambiKous targets are needed

Source: EEA, Commission (DG CA)

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

The EU Energy & Climate policy post 2020

The Agricultural sector and its emissions Concluding remarks

Agenda

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

The EU’s Energy & Climate Policy: the targets

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In October 2014 the European Council agreed the 2020-2030 policy framework and targets for Climate and Energy

161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

The only targets?

The EU’s Energy & Climate Policy post 2020: GHG targets & instruments

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Sector Saving to be achieved How Overall

Economy-wide At least 40% compared to 2009 Binding for the EU 28 + Norway+ Iceland

ETS*

High energy consuming industries 43% compared to 2005 Market-based emission rights (allowances)

Non-ETS

AG, waste management, transport, buildings 30% compared to 2005 NaKonally binding reducKon targets (ESD / R)

161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

* ETS stands for Emissions Trading Scheme, covering over 11 000 large installaKons

The EU “Effort sharing” policy

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• The Effort Sharing Decision (2009) established binding annual GHG

emission targets for Member States (MS) for the period 2013–2020

• Only applicable for non-ETS sectors: transport (except aviaKon and

internaKonal mariKme shipping), buildings, agriculture and waste

• Proposal on the table to update the Effort Sharing policy with binding

targets for 2021-2030

• More ambiIous than the present ESD:
• 30% reducKon instead of 10% now
• Nine MS may achieve their target by covering some emissions with EU

ETS allowances but no more than 100 Mtons CO2

• MS may use to a certain level savings from certain land use categories
• Banking and borrowing possible, as well as buying and selling between

MS

161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

GHG emission targets comparison for each MS

2013-2020 and 2021–2030

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GHG emission %

• 40
• 30
• 20
• 10

10 20 Luxembourg Sweden Denmark Finland Germany France UK Netherlands Austria Belgium Italy Ireland Spain Cyprus Malta Portugal Greece Slovenia Czech Republic Estonia Slovakia Lithuania Poland CroaKa Hungary Latvia Romania Bulgaria EU total

Targets 2013 - 2020 Targets 2021 - 2030*

carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

* SKll under discussion by MS & EP

The EU Energy & Climate policy post 2020

The Agricultural sector and its emissions

Concluding remarks

Agenda

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

Global GHG emissions by economic sector (2010)

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo Source: IPCC 2014, 5th assessment report

AG GHG Emissions in the EU (excluding LULUCF) 2012

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo Source: European Environment Agency 2015

471 MtCO2eq (2012):

• Manure management (CH4, N2O): 16.8%
• Livestock (CH4): 31,3%
• Agricultural soils (N2O): 51.3%

Development of AG GHG emission CO2eq in the EU (1990-2012)

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo Source: European Environment Agency 2015

Changes in the EU-28 GHG emissions by sector (1990-2012)

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo Source: European Environment Agency 2015

Projected emissions/ carbon sink from Land Use, Land Use Change, Forestry (LULUCF) - 2005-2030

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo Source: European Commission, COM(2016)479 final, IA

Reducing emissions from agriculture

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• ExpectaKon is that by 2030 compared to 2005 AG emission reducKon

will be around only -2.4%

• Main reason is that the cost-efficient miKgaKon potenKal of non-CO2

emissions is low*

• However, there is more potenKal in reducKon of CO2 emissions in AG
• land. Carbon sequestraKon through land-use, land-use change, crop

producKon; ferKlizer applicaKon; zero Kllage; wetland/peatland restoraKon**

• The role of the AG sector as food supplier makes this a long-term opKon
• Other sectors (transport, buildings, waste) need to deliver relaKvely

more GHG emissions reducKon to achieve the -30% target

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* An economic assessment of GHG miKgaKon policy opKon for EU AG, JRC, 2016 ** EffecKve performance of tools for climate acKon policy. Ricardo-AEA, 2016

ExisKng policy and policy under consideraKon

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• Greening the CAP
• Change in ferKlizer use
• Beter accounKng of emissions for LULUCF and linkage to ESD

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Greening the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

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• 'Greening', a major innovaKon brought in under the 2013 CAP reform

making the direct payments system more environment-friendly: farmers who use farmland more sustainably and care for natural resources benefit financially

• Core elements:
• diversifying crops - mandatory crop rotaKon (farm size-related)
• maintaining permanent grassland (task for authoriKes)
• dedicaKng 5% of arable land to 'ecologically beneficial

elements' ('ecological focus areas’) such as: fallow land, field margins, hedges and trees, buffer strips

• Small-holders are excluded from ‘greening’

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Land Use, Land Use Change, Forestry (LULUCF)

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• Following the COP Paris Agreement there is a bill under discussion to

have in EU law the Kyoto Protocol principle of the “no debit rule” by incorporaKng land use and forestry into the EU's emission-reducKon efforts (excluded now from GHG emission saving targets)

• Ensure that GHG emissions from land use are compensated by an

equivalent absorpKon of CO₂ by addiKonal acKon in the sector: AccounIng instead of just reporKng

• The proposed measures are binding for countries not for farmers (yet)
• The “no debit rule” applies to the overall EU target and the individual

MS targets

• LULUCF credits (net emission savings) can be used for ESD compliance;
• ne way though

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Circular economy - ferKlizer

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• December last year a major policy change was proposed to

create a circular economy in Europe: resource-efficient use of materials, less waste, more re-use of waste

• In March this year as a first deliverable of the circular economy

package was presented: a proposal on organic and waste-based ferKlizers

• The objecKves are:

a) more stringent standards for fossil-based ferKlizers, and b) creaKng an internal market for organic ferKliser reducing the need for fossil-based ferKlizers

161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

The EU Energy & Climate policy post 2020 The Agricultural sector and its emissions

Concluding remarks

Agenda

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161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo

Concluding remarks

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• The EU is on track reducing its GHG emissions as planned but

ambiKous post 2020 EU targets had to be agreed upon to stay on track

• For the non-ETS sectors all MS (except Bulgaria) need to realise

emission savings but under a system that allows more flexibility

• The EU is planning to abandon targets on transport and fuels, an

excepKon is being considered for advanced biofuels but the

• verall objecKve is maximum flexibility of the MS to achieve GHG

emission targets

• GHG emission savings (non-CO2 emissions) in the EU AG sector are

a challenge (too costly); savings would need to come from LU, LUC and F

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QuesKons

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• What will be the future of convenKonal biofuels?
• What might be the impact of the new E&E policy for the agricultural

sector here in South-America?

161027 - ISCC Sustainability Conference, São Paulo