Sustainability Action Plan: Climate Impact in focus
The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has published “Agri-supply: An Action Plan for Sustainable Efficiency”, a pivotal resource designed to support UK agri-supply businesses in navigating the complexities of sustainability.
Launched at the AIC Conference on 13 November 2024, this comprehensive blueprint offers essential guidance for businesses across the key agri-supply sectors of Animal Feed, Combinable Crops, Crop Protection and Agronomy, Fertiliser, and Seed.
AIC’s Action Plan provides a clear framework for enhancing sustainability credentials while driving operational efficiency, fostering resilience, and contributing to a robust agriculture and food system in the UK.
Covering critical topics such as economic resilience, climate impacts, biodiversity, and sustainable communities, it delivers actionable insights and recommendations that align with government policies and market expectations.
Each week, AIC is exploring a chapter of the Sustainability Action Plan - this week we focus on “Climate Impact”. Read the full chapter of AIC's Sustainability Action Plan on this area from page 18.
Visit the Sustainability webpage for more information.
What does it mean?
Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of the planet through their ability to absorb specific wavelengths of radiation emitted by the planet resulting in the greenhouse gas effect.
Limiting the greenhouse gas effect is significant in maintaining a habitable temperature on earth.
However, excessive emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels, results in global warming, climate change and an array of associated environmental and agricultural impacts.
- The UK has made significant cuts to greenhouse gas emissions since 1990 – emissions have so far fallen 46% from 1990 levels. Ref 15
- Even with very ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally, further climate change is inevitable.
- Agricultural emissions are impossible to eliminate entirely due to the intrinsic biological link with food production.
- The Climate Change Committee accept they should be viewed in the context of land use change and carbon capture.
Why does it matter to business?
The Met Office predicts that the UK is expected to experience warmer, wetter winters and hotter, drier summers as weather systems are altered by changes to our climate.
More of the rain in summer is expected to come from short-lived high-intensity showers and the chance of extreme maximum daily temperatures will increase.
A decrease in soil moisture during summers is projected, consistent with the reductions in summer rainfall. Sea levels will also continue rising.
Risks to soils from changing climatic conditions include seasonal aridity and wetness, as well as there being an increased risk from pests, pathogens and invasive nonnative species threatening productivity.
Businesses need to consider which parts of their operations are affected by different risks, such as reduced water supply impacting production and flooding or overheating affecting employee productivity.
They can then develop measures to manage risks, such as protecting their premises from flooding, and assess over time whether these measures are effective.
The Environment Agency now includes climate-related risk assessments in implementing the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
Learn more
AIC’s Action Plan for Sustainable Efficiency is your guide to meaningful progress, offering practical actions to reduce environmental impact, support market access, and secure long-term resilience.
All agri-supply businesses are encouraged to explore the Action Plan and engage with AIC for further support. For queries and further information, contact AIC’s Head of Sustainability Vicky Robinson ([email protected]) or Policy Manager Andrew Pearson ([email protected]).
Go to the Sustainability webpage to find out more, or click below.
Authors
Vicky Robinson
Vicky Robinson is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading and co-ordinating AIC's work on sustainability.
