Statistical data set

Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture indicators

Indicators of progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture in England.

The indicator framework aims to assess progress in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions whilst research is undertaken to improve the UK agricultural GHG inventory.

The framework, developed as part of the 2012 review of progress in reducing GHG emissions from agriculture in England, consists of ten key indicators covering farmer attitudes and knowledge, the uptake of mitigation methods and the GHG emission intensity of production in key agricultural sectors. As far as possible, it reflects the farm practices which are aligned to the Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Action Plan and acknowledges the indicators set out in the Committee on Climate Change annual progress reports.

The indicators are updated on an ongoing basis as new data becomes available with an overall, annual assessment of progress published each July in the Agricultural Statistics and Climate Change publication.

The framework overview (PDF, 271KB, 8 pages) provides a summary of the key points for each indicator and an overall assessment of the current position. The ten indicators are:

  1. Attitudes and awareness (December 2020) (PDF, 353KB, 4 pages)
  2. Uptake of mitigation methods (December 2020) (PDF, 383KB, 15 pages)
  3. Soil nitrogen balance (December 2020) (PDF, 359KB, 3 pages)
  4. Pig sector: feed conversion ratio for fattening herd (December 2020) (PDF, 260KB, 3 pages)
  5. Grazing livestock sector: beef and sheep breeding regimes (December 2020) (PDF, 320KB, 3 pages)
  6. Dairy sector: ratio of dairy cow feed production to milk production (December 2020) (PDF, 249KB, 3 pages)
  7. Poultry sector: feed conversion ratio for table birds (December 2020) (PDF, 335KB, 4 pages)
  8. Cereals and other crops: manufactured fertiliser application (December 2020) (PDF, 131KB, 6 pages)
  9. Slurry and manure (December 2020) (PDF, 185KB, 8 pages)
  10. Organic fertiliser application (December 2020) (PDF, 438KB, 10 pages)

For further information please contact:
Agri.EnvironmentStatistics@defra.gov.uk
Twitter: @DefraStats

Published 22 November 2012
Last updated 18 December 2020 + show all updates
  1. Updated all indicators and the framework overview.

  2. All indicators and framework summary have been updated.

  3. Indicators 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 and framework summary have been updated.

  4. Updated summary, fertiliser, slurry and mitigation indicators.

  5. Updated framework summary.

  6. Ad hoc updates (on an ongoing basis) to 7 of the 10 indicators as a result of new data becoming available.

  7. Updated reports: summary, uptake of mitigation methods, slurry and manure and organic fertiliser application.

  8. Updated framework summary.

  9. Updated indicators 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

  10. Indicator framework summary document updated.

  11. Updated all indicators.

  12. Updated slurry, fertiliser and summary reports.

  13. Updated various indicators in July 2014.

  14. Updated attitudes paper.

  15. Updated indicator 8: Cereals and other crops: manufactured fertiliser application.

  16. Updated indicator 4 (pig sector: feed conversion ratio for fattening herd).

  17. Updated indicator on the ratio of dairy cow feed production to milk production.

  18. Updated indicators 2, 9 and 10 and the framework overview with new data.

  19. Updated with July 2013 editiions as identified in title

  20. Indicator 4 (pig sector) updated.

  21. First published.