NFU’s 2040 net zero emissions target must be enshrined in law, MPs told

“We would support an amendment to that effect. As a statement of intent and clarity on the role which the sector could play in the climate emergency, it is still a really useful thing to look at.”

But ffinlo Costain, chief executive of Farmwel, who was also on the panel, warned the Government needs to reassess the way it measures emissions from agriculture before any target becomes law.

He pointed out the current method focuses on emissions as a whole, rather than warming from emissions, making livestock farming appear more damaging than it is.

Accurate

“We now have an accurate metric for accounting for methane, and it changes things,” he said.

“By and large, the warming impact of cattle and sheep farms will be about 75 per cent down in terms of methane.

“Before we start talking about hard targets, we need to make sure those metrics are there, because at the moment, farmers are being undermined because they do not trust the metrics.”