In arguments over combating climate change, the focus is usually on big polluters such as the fossil fuel industry, transport and heavy industry. As a result, some things have changed for the better.
King coal has been dethroned, fracking has been banned in Scotland and some big polluters have been closed down. Some major sources of pollution, however, have been missed.
Most people probably don’t realise that almost a quarter of climate emissions come from farming. It’s the methane belched out by cattle, the fertilisers used on the soil and a host of other things.
Oddly, agriculture is also the sector that seems to have been given the least attention by Scottish ministers. Their latest climate change plan relies on unambitious, mostly voluntary, measures for persuading farmers to reduce their pollution.
Ministers are only aiming to cut agricultural emissions by about nine per cent by 2032, much less than for other sectors. This is not good enough.
That’s why the letter from 50 food and environment groups, which we report today, is important. They are urging ministers to grasp the nettle and go for “carbon-neutral” farming.
These are not just the usual suspects. The move has been backed by farmers, crofters and landowners, which makes it much more difficult to ignore. Plus, they’ve made a series of practical suggestions.
So there’s no excuse. It’s now time for the Scottish Government to get serious about helping farmers reduce their climate pollution.
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