Summary
This policy analysis synthesises evidence on agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation requirements to meet the 2°C Paris Agreement climate target. The authors establish a global emissions reduction target of approximately 1 Gt CO₂e yr⁻¹ by 2030 for agriculture, but find that plausible development pathways deliver only 21–40% of needed reductions. The paper concludes that more transformative technical and policy interventions—such as methane inhibitors and financing mechanisms for novel practices—alongside comprehensive inclusion of soil carbon and agricultural mitigation in climate targets, are essential to bridge the mitigation gap.
UK applicability
The mitigation targets and policy recommendations are globally applicable, though the UK would need to translate these into sector-specific and spatially-relevant reduction pathways. UK agricultural policy, including post-Brexit farm support reform and net-zero commitments, should explicitly incorporate the agriculture-inclusive mitigation framework presented here to avoid cost-shifting to other sectors.
Key measures
Global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions reduction target (Gt CO₂e yr⁻¹); percentage mitigation achievable through conventional development pathways (21–40%); feasibility of specific mitigation options (methane inhibitors, soil carbon practices)
Outcomes reported
The study identified a preliminary global mitigation target of ~1 Gt CO₂e yr⁻¹ reduction from agriculture by 2030 to limit warming to 2°C, and assessed the feasibility of achieving this through plausible agricultural development pathways.
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