The plan aims to improve air quality and reduce the impacts of air pollution on human health, biodiversity, the natural environment and the economy by working collaboratively across sectors to put in place evidenced based policy, legislation, regulations and investment to reduce air pollution in line with international air quality standards.
Welsh Government’s Clean Air Plan includes a focus on strengthening the control of emissions in the agricultural sector, identifying that 85% of ammonia emissions in Wales are derived from farming with further improvements needed to meet targets. This is to be achieved through a focus on advice, actions supported through the future Sustainable Farming Scheme and regulation.
Welsh Government states it will introduce new law to tackle agricultural pollution. Welsh Government also proposes to introduce National Minimum Standards based on the verifiable standards in Cross Compliance.
Focus on woodlands
The Plan also includes a focus on woodlands to improve air quality and refers to the targets established in the Woodland for Wales Strategy of 2,000 hectare per year rising to 4,000 as soon as possible, as well as the National Forest Programme.
Responding to the Clean Air Plan, NFU Cymru Deputy President Aled Jones said: “Farmers recognise the role they have to play in reducing ammonia emissions. NFU Cymru is keen to work with government on an overarching holistic strategy that includes improved data to support policy development recognising the level of uncertainty within the current inventory does not reflect current farming practice or on-farm abatement measures. An overarching strategy would also address barriers to change appreciating the affordability of farm infrastructure and technologies will be critical to uptake.
“Whilst the Plan does include a focus on advice and guidance and some high level information on what the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme may support in the future, the pursuit of regulatory solutions as the default position of Welsh Government will be concerning for farmers across Wales. The Clean Air Plan states it is Welsh Government’s intention to introduce new law to tackle agricultural pollution, this does not align to the Minister’s statement on this issue. The Minister has previously stated she will not make a decision on the introduction of measures to tackle agricultural pollution until after the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also misleading to suggest that these regulations will replace NVZs when, in fact, the draft regulations published in April clearly apply the Nitrates Directive to the whole of Wales. Farmers will be angered that this old-fashioned, bureaucratic approach to addressing nitrates from agriculture is now being rehashed to address a broader range of issues when that was never its intention.
Future regulatory baseline
“Farmers will also be highly concerned that Welsh Government proposes to incorporate the Cross Compliance Verifiable Standards into National Minimum Standards – a future regulatory baseline - without any consideration of whether the farming sector can absorb the costs if the Basic Payment Scheme is phased out.
“NFU Cymru remains concerned about Welsh Government targets for large scale afforestation and significant ambiguity remains about what shape the National Forest will take. We are clear farmers are very much part of the climate change solution and enhancing levels of carbon sequestration on Welsh farms is one of three strands to the NFU Cymru Net Zero Ambition. With appropriate support, farmers across Wales would be keen to plant more trees on their farms. Integrated into farming systems, tree planting has the potential to deliver multiple benefits including air quality.”
Concluding, Mr Jones said: “As with the other big challenges of our time, farmers are ready to play their part, however, NFU Cymru is clear the burden should not fall unequally on farming and rural communities. Policies to improve air quality should facilitate and not hinder the development of farm businesses in Wales to enable them to continue to deliver their key role producing food for our nation so that we do not see food production off-shored to other parts of the world where production standards are lower.”