Key measures: what should farmers and policy makers focus on first?

Nitrous oxide mitigation

• Management of and reductions in use of nitrogen fertilisers should be the first focus. This can be achieved through a combination of reduced N fertiliser application and altered fertiliser formulation (either protected urea or ammonium-based compound fertilisers).
• Key technologies for achieving a reduction in nitrogen fertiliser use include the greater use of white and red clover, achieving optimum soil pH and soil P/K status in combination with enhanced use of legumes and multi-species swards and the use of Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS). These can reduce fertiliser use to between 322,590 tonnes N (P1) and 285,727 tonnes N (P2) by 2030.
• Altering fertiliser formulation (switching from CAN to protected urea or an ammonium-based compound) will reduce emissions in 2030 by between 418 ktCO₂eq yr¹ (Pathway 1) and 553 ktCO₂eq yr¹ (Pathway 2). Reduced crude protein in animal feed concentrates will also contribute to reduced nitrogen loading in soils.
• The cumulative abatement over the period 2021 to 2030 for nitrogen fertiliser is between 6.8 million and 11.1 million tonnes CO₂eq.

Methane mitigation

• EBI could reduce absolute levels of methane by 255 ktCO₂eq yr¹ by 2030 under both Pathway 1 and 2. View video below with further information from Donagh Berry

• Reduced age at finish could reduce emissions in 2030 by 470 and 732 ktCO2eq yr1 for Pathways 1 and 2, respectively. This is equivalent to a reduction of average finishing age by 2 and 3 months, respectively. View video below with information from Paul Crossan

• Feed additives that inhibit methane production in the rumen, could reduce methane emissions in 2030 by between 396 ktCO₂eq yr¹ (P1) and 788 ktCO₂eq yr¹ (P2). These still require a lot of research for development and deployment.
• Diversification into organic farming, forestry or particularly feedstock (grass) production for biomethane production could reduce emissions in 2030 by between 150 ktCO₂eq yr¹ and 417 ktCO₂eq yr¹.
• Manure management, in terms of slurry additives and aeration but also biomethane and extended grazing could reduce manure methane emissions by between 423 ktCO₂eq yr¹ and 879 ktCO₂eq yr¹ by 2030.

Figure 4: Marginal Abatement Cost Curve for LULUCF in 2030 (carbon abatement and sequestration associated with forestry, land management and land-use change) for Pathway 2 uptake levels. Values are based on linear uptake of measures between 2021-2030. Dashed line indicates Carbon cost of €100 per tonne CO2.

Figure 5: Marginal Abatement Cost Curve for 2030 bioenergy abatement produced in the agriculture and forestry sectors using Pathway 2 uptake levels. The dashed column indicates the biomethane marginal cost at pre-2022 energy price levels (low cast scenario). The dashed column indicates the cost of biomethane at pre-2022 gas prices. The dashed line indicates Carbon cost of €100 per tonne CO2.