Climate action in the agri-food sector is essential to achieve the EU’s 2040 climate target and the goal of a climate-neutral and resilient EU by 2050. However, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture have largely stagnated in the past 15 years, and this is unlikely to change unless new policy is introduced. Recognising this challenge, the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change and other actors have recommended the introduction of some form of emissions pricing in the agricultural and land use sectors to incentivize the necessary transition. The Commission has commissioned a study looking into various potential climate policy options for the agri-food sector, and assessing their potential environmental, social, and economic impacts. Potential options within this study include an emissions trading system but also focus on other policy instruments such as a mandatory climate standard, as well as procurement of emission and removal units generated under the Carbon Removals Certification Framework.
An effective transition must ensure an attractive future for farmers where agriculture is economically viable while producing healthy and sustainable food. As part of the “Vision for Agriculture and Food”, the European Commission aims to make the agri-food sector attractive, competitive, sustainable and fair for current and future generations by 2040. The time is now to design suitable policies and incentives that take into account the specific characteristics of the sector and overall constraints on public budgets.
Guiding questions:
- Which potential policies and incentives can effectively ensure sufficient emissions reductions in the agri-food sector?
- How do we strike the right balance between regulatory and incentive-based policies for farmers and the broader agri-food value chain to ensure speedy climate action and realize the innovation potential?
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SPEAKERS
Moderator: Julia Bognar, Head of Programme, Land Use and Climate, IEEP
- Christian Holzleitner, Head of Unit for Land Economy and Carbon Removals, Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
- Helena Wright, Policy Director at the FAIRR Initiative ▪ Hugh McDonald, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute
- Christian Stenberg, Deputy Permanent Secretary for EU, international climate and energy at the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities
- Sophie Scherger, Climate and Agriculture Policy Officer, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy – IATP
- Hugh McDonald, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute
Commentary remarks by: Simone Højte, Senior Consultant in the Food Division, CONCITO
