2023-01-08-未来能源研究所-减少农业温室气体排放的政策（英）_11页_140kb

Summary of Policies to Increase Mitigation of Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Introduction and Importance

The mitigation of agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions goals, contributing by reducing the need for negative emissions. Agriculture historically accounts for about 9% of U.S. GHG emissions, stemming from sources like nitrous oxide (N2O) from synthetic and organic fertilizers, and methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation in livestock and manure decomposition. Reducing these emissions while meeting increasing global food demand supports overall environmental sustainability.

Key Policy Approaches

Three main policy approaches are proposed to incentivize voluntary reductions:

• Increased Government Co-financing: Programs like those under the Farm Bill and Inflation Reduction Act provide funding through USDA agencies (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program) to support conservation practices that lower GHG emissions without requiring direct GHG performance verification, reducing financial risks for farmers.

• Climate-Smart Agricultural Commodity Programs: Initiatives such as the USDA's Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities offer grants to finance projects that promote lower-GHG commodities, aiding in measurement, verification, and market development for emissions-reduced products.

• Ag-GHG Emissions Reduction Credits: This market-based mechanism allows farmers to earn credits for GHG savings and sell them, potentially attracting significant private investment, though reliability depends on accurate measurement and additionality assurance.

Barriers and Implementation Challenges

Adoption faces several hurdles:

• Technological and Economic Challenges: Uncertainty in measuring emissions and costs, inherent farm heterogeneity, and baseline estimation complexities make assessing GHG reductions difficult. Additionally, risk-averse farmers may hesitate due to perceived yield risks from new practices.

• Social and Behavioral Barriers: Established norms within agricultural communities may conflict with new practices, potentially hindering widespread adoption.

• Additionality Concerns: Determining whether policy incentives lead to reductions beyond business-as-usual practices is challenging, limiting policy effectiveness.

Recommendations and Future Actions

To enhance policy success, the following actions are suggested:

• Improve Measurement Capabilities: Invest in better data collection and precision agriculture technologies to accurately quantify emissions, starting with experimental programs under USDA.

• Address Additionality and Standards: Develop new approaches to establish baselines and ensure environmental integrity, fostering confidence in credit markets.

• Pilot Projects and Coordination: Use small-scale initiatives to test policy efficacy, evaluate co-benefits (e.g., water quality improvement), and inform scaling up of effective strategies. Coordinate government programs with emerging markets to reduce uncertainty in innovative practices.