Expanding Agriculture's Role in the International Climate Change Regime

Book excerpt: Agriculture's profile in the international negotiations on climate change is increasing, with a broader role envisioned for agriculture and related land management practices and systems. Agriculture has the potential to play a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in the short term. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that the agricultural sector has the potential to contribute significantly to GHG emission reductions, with potential ranges from 5 to 20 per cent of total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030 and a global mitigation potential ranging from 5.5 to 6 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by 2030 (Smith et al., 2007). Reductions in the agricultural sector in the short term can help to buy time to allow the required transformation in energy systems and infrastructure, because changes in agricultural practices can occur more quickly than shifts to zero-carbon energy technologies. Agriculture can play a critical mitigation role in the short term, in a manner that is complementary to reductions in the energy sector.