The NFU has expressed concerns that its ambitious goal to make farming ‘net zero’ by 2040, ten years ahead of the UK's national target, may be difficult to achieve.

They attribute this to a lack of investment in climate-friendly farming practices by previous governments but remain committed to the deadline.

Achieving net zero means stopping any further addition to the total greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. The NFU emphasised that, while meeting the 2040 target will be challenging, they have no plans to drop it. The Soil Association also stressed that UK agriculture would need ‘radical changes’ to meet this goal.

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In response, the government stated it is ‘committed to reducing emissions in the farming sector’.

The UK’s legal target under the Climate Change Act is to achieve net zero by 2050. However, in 2019, the NFU set an earlier goal for agriculture in England and Wales to reach net zero by 2040, with Scotland setting its own target for 2045.

Currently, farming accounts for about 12% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from nitrous oxide (fertilisers and manure) and methane (ruminant livestock), with a smaller portion from carbon dioxide due to energy and fuel use.

Efforts to reach net zero have focused on improving production efficiency, enhancing land management for carbon capture, and expanding renewable energy on farms. While individual farms are largely responsible for reducing emissions, industry-led pilot projects are underway to track progress and build a national overview.

The NFU has called for an increase in the UK’s agriculture budget from £3.5b to £5.6b to support farmers in producing more food while also addressing environmental, energy, and climate challenges. This call comes amid concerns that the government may cut £100m from the farming budget.

Environmental organisations warn that such cuts could undermine progress toward net zero. Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said reducing nature-friendly farming funds would jeopardise the transition to net zero, while Brendan Costelloe of the Soil Association argued that cuts would harm both the environment and taxpayers in the long run.

Despite some progress in reducing emissions—nitrous oxide and methane have decreased by 23% and 15%, respectively, since 1990—the Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned that the pace of reduction in the farming sector remains too slow and requires a significant boost.

A Defra spokeswoman reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing farming emissions, emphasising that it would optimise schemes and grants to support food security, nature recovery, and emissions reduction while protecting farmers from the impacts of trade deals and rising costs.