Greenhouse gas and ammonia emission mitigation priorities for UK policy targets

Agriculture plays a critical role in providing food and maintaining food security whist at the same time delivering multiple other ecosystem services and is essential for food production and food security. However, agricultural systems are generally a net source of greenhouse gases and ammonia They therefore need to play a crucial role in climate change mitigation and net zero ambitions. It is widely acknowledged that there is a need to further reduce and mitigate emissions across sectors, including agriculture to address the climate emergency and emissions gap. This discussion paper outlines a collation of opinions from a range of experts within agricultural research and advisory roles following a greenhouse gas and ammonia emission mitigation workshop held in the UK in March 2022. The meeting identified the top mitigation priorities within the UK’s agricultural sector to achieve reductions in greenhouse gases and ammonia that are compatible with policy targets. In addition, experts provided an overview of what they believe are the key knowledge gaps, future opportunities and co benefits to mitigation practices as well as indicating the potential barriers to uptake for mitigation scenarios discussed.