When independent government advisors have zero confidence in government policy, there’s something badly wrong. But zero confidence is what the Climate Change Committee says it has in the Scottish government’s policies for reducing farming emissions beyond 2030.
The climate watchdog’s latest report examines Scotland’s progress in reducing emissions and analyses whether government policy will do what it needs to by 2040. It looks at the emissions reductions expected in each sector and explains whether the government’s policy is credible or not.
The picture painted on farming policy is stark. From 2031 to 2040, the climate advisors say that we cannot credibly expect any fall in emissions from agriculture based on the government’s current plans. Instead, all of the necessary reductions in greenhouse gases are categorised under the diplomatic language of “significant risks” and “insufficient plans”.
This matters. Currently, farming is a major driver of climate change and the decline of Scotland’s prized wildlife and natural habitats.
It doesn’t have to be – we can produce food in ways that support nature and reduce emissions. Some farmers and crofters have already adopted more sustainable methods, and many more would like to. But those who’ve made the switch have done so despite government policy, often facing significant financial and administrative barriers. That’s not an option for everyone.
Farmers and crofters need support and funding to help them farm sustainably. But just five percent of public funding for agriculture is spent directly on supporting nature and climate friendly farming. That’s not going to get us where we need to be to meet our climate targets.
For years, farmers’ groups and environment charities have called for a new farm funding system that works for nature, climate and people. Farmers and crofters are themselves on the frontline of climate change, with extreme weather making food production harder and more unpredictable. At the same time, increasing consumer demand for sustainable food means Scottish producers are at risk of being left behind.
Yet Scotland’s farming policy is stuck in the last century, with most of the funding allocated on the basis of how much land you farm rather than what you do with it. And the pace of change is glacial.
In December I was one of several environmental representatives who resigned from the Scottish government’s farming policy group. We were frustrated by decisions that ignored the urgent need to help farmers and crofters tackle climate change and nature loss, and the clear evidence that farm funding requires a major overhaul.
The Climate Change Committee’s report reinforces our point. We need to see credible plans, and urgent action, to help Scotland’s farmers and crofters adapt to the greatest challenges of our time.
What will it take to make that happen?
Article by Pete Ritchie originally published in The National on February 28th 2026.