Official Statistics

Agri-climate report 2024

Published 27 February 2025

Key messages

• Total UK agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have decreased by 12% between 1990 and 2022, driven by reductions in livestock numbers and use of manufactured fertilisers.
• From 1990 to 2022, UK emissions intensities from cattle, dairy and pigs all showed declining trends, decreasing by 4%, 22% and 46% respectively. Sheep emissions intensity has fluctuated over this period, and in 2022 was 5% higher than in 1990.
• The 2024 Farm Practices Survey (FPS) indicated that 58% of farmers in England thought it important to consider GHGs when making farm business decisions, while 39% considered it not important.

Section 1. UK agriculture estimated GHG emissions

In 2022, Agriculture contributed an estimated 12% of total UK GHG emissions (in million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, MtCO2e), a similar proportion to 2021. It is a major source of both nitrous oxide and methane emissions in the UK, accounting for 70% of total nitrous oxide emissions and 49% of all methane emissions in 2022. In contrast, agriculture only accounted for 2.3% of total carbon dioxide emissions. Agricultural emissions come from livestock, agricultural soils, stationary combustion sources and off-road machinery. It is important to note that there are relatively large uncertainties in estimating agricultural emissions, and the entire time series is revised each year to take account of methodological improvements in the UK emissions inventory. For more information, see Section 1 of the Annex.

1.1 Change in UK GHG emissions, 1990 - 2022

Figure 1.1 UK estimated GHG emissions from agriculture, 1990 and 2022 (MtCO₂e)

Emission type	1990	2022
UK Agriculture: total GHG emissions	54.1	47.7
Nitrous oxide emissions	16.3	12.6
Methane emissions	32.5	27.8
Carbon dioxide emissions	5.3	7.3

Source: UK greenhouse gas emissions, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

Between 1990 and 2022 estimated UK GHG gas emissions decreased by 12% overall. This was driven by a 23% decrease in nitrous oxide emissions and a 15% decrease in methane emissions, which more than offset a 38% increase in carbon dioxide emissions.

1.2 Trends in GHG emissions

Figure 1.2 GHG emissions from UK agriculture (MtCO₂e)

Source: UK greenhouse gas emissions, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

Figure 1.2 provides an overall picture of the level of estimated GHG emissions from UK agriculture. Between 1990 and 2022, there has been a 12% decrease in total UK GHG emissions from agriculture. This occurred mainly in the 2000s, which saw decreases in emissions of nitrous oxide due to reduced application of nitrogen fertiliser, and decreases in methane emissions as a result of reduced livestock numbers. Since 2009 emissions from agriculture have remained at a similar level, fluctuating around 48-49 MtCO2e. In 2022 total UK GHG emissions from agriculture was 47.7 MtCO2e, down 2.4% from 2021.

1.3 Nitrous oxide emissions

Figure 1.3 Emissions of nitrous oxide from UK agriculture by source (MtCO₂e)

Notes:

1. ‘Direct soil emissions’ consists of leaching/runoff, synthetic fertiliser, manure as an organic fertiliser, atmospheric deposition, improved grassland soils, crop residues, cultivation of organic soils, N-fix crops and deposited manure on pasture (unmanaged).

2. ‘Other’ includes stationary and mobile combustion, wastes and field burning of agricultural wastes.

Source: UK greenhouse gas emissions, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

The total emissions of nitrous oxide from agriculture in 2022 was 12.6 MtCO2e, down 5.2% from 2021. Agriculture is estimated to be responsible for 70% of total nitrous oxide emissions in 2022, similar to the 2021 proportion. The majority of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions come from soils, particularly as a result of nitrogen fertiliser application, manure and leaching/run off. More information on the cause of nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture can be found in Section 1 of the Annex.

Estimated nitrous oxide emissions have decreased by 23% since 1990. This decrease largely occurred in the early 2000s, driven by substantial reductions in the overall application rate for nitrogen fertilisers, particularly to grassland. A decline in cattle numbers is thought to have contributed to the decrease of nitrogen use on grassland, possibly in conjunction with improvement in manure use efficiency (see British Survey of Fertiliser Practice). Since around 2006 levels of nitrous oxide emissions have remained fairly similar, fluctuating around 13-14 MtCO2e.

1.4 Methane emissions

Figure 1.4 Emissions of methane from UK agriculture by source (MtCO₂e)

Source: UK greenhouse gas emissions, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

Notes:

1. ‘Enteric fermentation: other’ is goats, horses, pigs and deer.
2. ‘Other’ is the sum of Field burning of agricultural wastes, Stationary and mobile combustion and Manure management from livestock (cattle, dairy, sheep, pigs).

The total emissions of methane from agriculture in 2022 was 27.8 MtCO2e, an increase of 0.4% on 2021. Agriculture is estimated to have been the source of 49% of the UK’s methane emissions in 2022, similar to the 2021 proportion. Methane is produced as a by-product of enteric fermentation and from the decomposition of manure under anaerobic conditions. More information on the cause of methane emissions can be found in Section 1 of the Annex.

The majority of the fall in estimated methane emissions since 1990 (15%) is due to reductions in the numbers of cattle and sheep in the UK. However, since 2009 the long-term decline has stalled and methane emissions have remained at similar levels.

1.5 Carbon dioxide emissions

Figure 1.5 Emissions of carbon dioxide from UK agriculture by source (MtCO₂e)

Source: UK greenhouse gas emissions, Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero

In contrast to nitrous oxide and methane, to which agriculture contributes a large proportion of total UK emissions, only 2.3% of carbon dioxide emissions (7.3 MtCO2e) in the UK were attributed to agriculture in 2022, a similar proportion to 2021. Emissions of CO2 from agriculture relate mainly to fuel use. Since 1990, there has been an overall increase (38%) in estimated carbon dioxide emissions from agriculture.

Section 2. UK agriculture GHG emissions intensity

This section shows the GHG emissions intensity in four agricultural industries: cattle (excluding dairy), dairy, pigs and sheep. These are top level indicators of intensity, rather than detailed life cycle assessments. The emissions intensity is calculated using animal emissions data from the United Nations Climate Change National Inventory Submissions, meat production data from Defra slaughter statistics and milk data from Defra milk statistics. Cattle, pig and sheep emissions intensities are calculated as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of meat production. Dairy emissions intensity is calculated as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per litre of milk. The entire time series is revised each year. These revisions consider improvements in the GHG inventory methodology (e.g. refinements to emissions/conversion factors on account of new research) and improvements to activity (input) data. Improvements to activity data may come from new data becoming available, but also a reinterpretation of previously used data, both of which can drive changes to emissions through the time series.

All the data is presented as indices, using 1990 as the reference year (1990 = 100).

2.1 Cattle emissions intensity

Figure 2.1 Cattle emissions intensity index (1990 = 100)

Source: Defra

Download the data for this chart

Notes:

1. ‘Cattle’ refers to all cattle in the UK except dairy cows. Dairy cows (as per the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) inventory) are milking cows over 2 years old with young.

In 1996 there was a significant increase in the emissions intensity (GHG emissions per kg of meat produced) from cattle, which corresponds with the introduction of the “over thirty months rule” introduced in 1996 after the spread of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in the 1990s. Since then, the emissions intensity has fallen, with an overall decrease of 5% since 1990. This was driven by overall declines in animal emissions (-12%), livestock numbers (-18%) and meat production (-8%).

2.2 Dairy emissions intensity

Figure 2.2 Dairy emissions intensity index (1990 = 100)

Source: Defra

Download the data for this chart

Notes:

1. Dairy cows (as per the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) inventory) are milking cows over 2 years old with young.

The emissions intensity for dairy (GHG emissions per litre of milk production) has seen a steady decrease since 1990, decreasing by 22% between 1990 and 2022. This was driven by an overall decrease in animal emissions (-13%), despite an overall increase in milk production (12%). Efficiency gains in dairy farming mean milk production is up 10% from 2000, with a 21% reduction in numbers of dairy cows and a 4% reduction in GHG emissions from dairy cows over the same period.

2.3 Pig emissions intensity

Figure 2.3 Pig emissions intensity index (1990 = 100)

Source: Defra

Download the data for this chart

For pigs, the emissions intensity (GHG emissions from producing a kg of pork) has steadily declined over time, with a 46% reduction between 1990 and 2022. This was driven by an overall reduction in animal emissions(-41%) and increase in meat production (10%). Pig emissions intensity has seen the largest proportional decline since 1990 when compared to emissions intensities for cattle, dairy and sheep.

2.4 Sheep emissions intensity

Figure 2.4 Sheep emissions intensity index (1990 = 100)

Source: Defra

Download the data for this chart

The emissions intensity for sheep (GHG emissions per kg of meat produced) has fluctuated from 1990 to 2022; however in 2022 it was 3% higher than in 1990. Meat production and animal emissions showed similar trends between 1990 and 2022, with both fluctuating over this period and showing similar overall declines of 21% and 19% respectively.

Section 3. Farmer attitudes and uptake of on-farm mitigation measures in England

3.1 Background information

The following section provides key summary statistics for England on farmer attitudes and views on GHGs and their uptake of a range of mitigation measures (from the Defra Farm Practices Survey (FPS)). It links to data on farmer understanding and awareness of actions towards reducing GHG emissions. Attitudes to and knowledge of GHGs is one of the GHG indicators and covers all farming sectors.

Understanding what practices are adopted, and why, can help to highlight motivations, barriers and provide an indication of the ease with which mitigation measures can be actioned. However, improving understanding and attitudes towards GHGs are not a guarantee of the adoption of mitigation practices, as business sustainability and financial implications are also important drivers for change.

Some minor changes were made to the Farm Practices Survey questions asked in 2024, reflecting a move to a fully online format. For further details see About these statistics (metadata) Published 13 June 2024.

3.2 Awareness of GHG emissions

Figure 3.1 How important is it to consider GHGs when taking decisions about crops, land and livestock?

Response	Percentage
Very important	14.4%
Fairly important	43.5%
Not very important	27.9%
Not at all important	10.8%
My farm does not produce GHGs	3.3%

Source: Farm Practices Survey 2024 – greenhouse gas mitigation practices

The 2024 Farm Practices Survey (FPS) indicated that 58% of farmers thought it important to consider GHGs when making farm business decisions (down from 62% in 2023), while 39% considered it not important (up from 32% in 2023). There were a relatively small number that believed their farm did not produce GHGs (3.3%). Dairy farms placed the greatest importance on GHGs, while Pigs and poultry farms placed the least importance.

Figure 3.2 Proportion of farms taking action to reduce GHG emissions categorised by their views on whether taking action will improve farm profitability

Source: Farm Practices Survey 2024 – greenhouse gas mitigation practices

Notes:

1. For 2024, FPS data on the proportion of farmers taking action was suppressed for those who strongly agreed that reducing emissions would improve farm profitability, due to a low number of responses in that category (<5 holdings). Therefore no data is shown for the “strongly agreed” category.

In 2024, 36% of farmers agreed or strongly agreed that reducing emissions would improve farm profitability (down from 44% in 2023). Dairy farms were the most likely to agree that reducing emissions would improve profitability, while Grazing livestock (lowland) farms were least convinced.

Overall, 48% of farms were taking action to reduce their GHG emissions. Of those that agreed reducing GHGs increases profitability (31% of farms), 27% still did not take any action to reduce their emissions. However, 21% of those who strongly disagreed (12% of farms) and 36% of those who disagreed (52% of farms) that reducing GHGs would increase profitability still took action to reduce their emissions.

3.3 What farmers say they do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Figure 3.3 Actions being taken by farmers to reduce GHG emissions

Source: Farm Practices Survey 2024 – greenhouse gas mitigation practices

The 2024 results indicated that 48% of farmers were taking actions to reduce emissions. LFA and lowland Grazing livestock farms were less likely to be taking action than other farm types, with 38% and 30% taking action respectively. Unsurprisingly, those who think that reducing emissions is important are more likely to undertake an action to reduce emissions. 82% of farmers who thought it was very important to consider GHGs when making farm business decisions took action, whereas only 9% who thought it not at all important took action.

The most common actions to reduce GHG emissions were Recycling waste materials from the farm (77%), Improving energy efficiency (71%) and Reducing tillage/no tillage (64%).

While most farm businesses should be able to implement key actions, not all measures are suitable for all farm businesses. In general, larger farms were more likely to be taking action to reduce GHGs than smaller farms; however there were some key differences between farm types:

• Dairy, Mixed and Grazing livestock farm types had the highest uptake of clover in grassland.

• Cereals, Other cropping and Dairy farms were more likely to take actions to improve nitrogen fertiliser application accuracy compared to Grazing livestock and Pigs and poultry farms, but not all enterprises apply nitrogen fertiliser (such as organic farms and some grazing livestock farms).

3.4 What are the main motivations for undertaking the actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Figure 3.4 Main motivations for taking action to reduce GHG emissions

Source: Farm Practices Survey 2024 – greenhouse gas mitigation practices

The main motivations for farmers to take action to reduce GHGs were that it was considered good business practice (81%) and concern for the environment (64%). This was fairly consistent across farm size and type.

Many farmers recognised the significance of GHG emissions, but some remained unconvinced about the business benefits of reducing emissions, with only 50% reporting that a main motivation was to improve profitability. There were some differences between farm types, with 42% of Grazing livestock (lowland) and Pigs and poultry farmers motivated by profitability, compared to higher proportions for Cereals (57%), Dairy (56%) and Grazing livestock (LFA) (55%).

3.5 What farmers say are the barriers to reducing emissions

Figure 3.5 Factors preventing action to reduce GHG emissions (for farmers not currently taking any action)

Source: Farm Practices Survey 2024 – greenhouse gas mitigation practices

While research suggests that most practices to reduce GHG emissions could save farmers money (and many farmers are likely to be influenced to change their practices because it makes good business sense), there are several key barriers to uptake that are non-financial, or not directly financial. These include a lack of willingness to undertake practices (e.g. limited trust in what is being asked and the outcomes that will result) and a lack of ability to undertake them (e.g. a lack of understanding, skills, time or capital). Note that, from 2024 onwards, there has been a change to the Farm Practices Survey so that the question on barriers to reducing GHG emissions is only asked of farmers who say they are not currently undertaking any actions to reduce emissions.

For farmers not currently undertaking any actions to reduce GHG emissions:

• The most reported reason for not taking action was being unsure on what to do due to too many conflicting views, with 44% of farmers citing this reason (similar to the 2023 proportion). These informational barriers are important as 23% responded that a lack of information was another key reason for not taking action (compared with 30% in 2023).

• 28% of farmers did not think it necessary to adopt mitigation practices because they believe they do not produce many emissions, compared with 33% in 2023.

• Reported financial barriers are higher than the previous year, with 22% saying it was too expensive (compared with 18% in 2023) and 33% saying there was not enough incentive (compared with 25% in 2023).

Section 4. What you need to know about this release

4.1 Contact details

Responsible statistician: Andrew Fletcher

Email address: agri.environmentstatistics@defra.gov.uk

For media queries between 9am and 6pm on weekdays:

• Telephone: 0330 041 6560
• Email address: newsdesk@defra.gov.uk (monitored 9am to 6pm on weekdays)

4.2 Official Statistics

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You can read about how Official Statistics in Defra comply with these standards on the Defra Statistics website.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards using the contact details above. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

4.3 Future publications

There are no further planned updates to the Agri-Climate Report. Please see the following publications for relevant updates concerning Agri-Climate topics:

• The United Nations Climate Change National Inventory Submissions – UK animal emissions data.
• The Defra slaughter statistics – Monthly UK meat production data
• The Defra milk statistics - Monthly UK milk price and production data
• The Farm Practices Survey (FPS) - Key summary statistics on farmer attitudes and views on GHGs and their uptake of a range of mitigation measures.