The Evaluation of Market Ready agricultural Technology Options (TEMaRTO)

The Delivering Clean Growth through Sustainable Intensification (CGSI) project has been critical in developing a rigorous, evidence-based decarbonisation pathway for agriculture that demonstrates compliance with the 5th and 6th carbon budget (CB) periods. This work directly informed development of the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2023) and planning for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards.

In preparation for the legal establishment of CB7 (2038 to 2042) it is time to refresh and update the evidence of the CGSI. We propose that this refresh looks to build on the successes of CGSI by filling evidence gaps around currently unquantified or exploratory measures in the CBDP, identify new mitigation technologies and innovations, refresh the trajectory in preparation for CB7, and explore potential for a long-term service agreement to test and implement evidence-based policy decisions. In advance, the successful contractor will receive a list of the unquantified/exploratory measures (also found in the published Net Zero growth plan), but also encouraged to explore other alternative emerging solutions. The refresh should adopt and enforce Maximum Technical Potential (MTP), ensuring the MTPs given for each measure are robust and credible. (MTP represents the maximum carbon savings that would be possible if we ignore limitations of cost, logistics and other non-market barriers). In reality the effective potential will be significantly lower or take longer than 30 years to deliver (i.e., not necessarily contributing to the 2050 target).