Pig industry slashes GHG emissions
Pig industry slashes GHG emissions
“It is with a great deal of satisfaction – but a total absence of complacency – that I can report outstanding progress to date,” said BPEX chairman, Stewart Houston. He was speaking following the launch of an updated report on the reduction in carbon footprint by the pig industry, which was announced by Farming Minister, George Eustice.
The achievements now far exceed the overall 2020 target. In particular, the reduction in climate change potential achieved to date of 26 per cent amounts to 800,000 tonnes of CO2-eq in 2012 compared to 2008.
Houston continued: ““Of the improvements we forecast would be achieved by 2020 in the four key environmental impact categories identified, climate change potential has already been exceeded; eutrophication has almost been met and we are already more than half way to achieving our goals in the other two categories, acidification and abiotic resource depletion, – all after only two years.
“This is an outstanding achievement by any measure and particularly commendable in the economic climate currently challenging all agricultural sectors.
“That said, many of the ways in which we are reducing our impact on the environment also deliver production efficiencies for producers.”
At the launch George Eustice said: “The industry set itself very challenging targets and has made huge progress towards achieving those targets.”
