Functional climate protection in Carinthian agriculture

Emissions of greenhouse gases increase the energy balance of the atmosphere (radiative forcing RF) . It's getting warmer. The impact of an individual greenhouse gas depends on the quantity and physical properties. The effective amount arises from the long-term dynamics of emissions and their breakdown in the atmosphere or biosphere . Although these relationships are easy to understand and generally known, the usual method for accounting for greenhouse effects does not involve creating dynamic time series. The method used is a simplified standardization that is multiplied by the emission quantity like an exchange rate and thus results in the unit CO ₂ equivalents. This unit is decoupled from the actual or expected heating effect. Statements about the status or degree of achievement of political climate protection goals, i.e. climate neutrality, are not possible. Not good conditions for decision-makers who have to communicate a credible impact with proposed measures!

asking HBLFA about the time course of the change in the energy balance from 1890, which roughly corresponds to the beginning of the industrial age in Carinthia The request was also accompanied by a request to name effective climate protection measures. “Functional Climate Protection” method is presented as an innovation.

time series analysis of radiation forcing as a fundamental function and supplements the results with life cycle assessments. The introduction of a long observation window (e.g. 1890 to 2050) enables the presentation of net effects (NRF). Functional climate protection offers decision makers something like the following decision tree:

1. goal of climate neutrality for a greenhouse gas ? If so, can we achieve further improvements as a climate protection performance? If no,
2. How environmentally friendly can an urgently needed product be produced in your own country? If there is a comparative advantage, the product should also be manufactured in-house taking into account further climate impacts, because outsourcing production leads to a higher overall burden. If there are more efficient producers abroad, production in your own country should be stopped, unless
3. proven interactions are so significant that this effect is directly or indirectly destroyed.

Result 1: Has Carinthia already achieved climate neutrality for individual greenhouse gases?

agriculture

1. for methane (CH ₄ ) . Even the starting point has already been exceeded. Decision: No urgent need for action.
2. Nitrous oxide (N ₂ O) has been approaching climate neutrality for some time now. Decision: There is a need for action to the extent of the WAM scenario.
3. Carbon dioxide agriculture (CO ₂ ) , not in the picture. Decision: see overall effect of CO2

Overall economy

1. Carbon dioxide for the entire economy (CO ₂ ), even under WAM conditions, is far from achieving the goal of climate neutrality.
2. Taking the input levels (NRF) into account, the totals of all agricultural greenhouse gases reach a share of 5.7% in 2020. The value will fall to 3.6% by 2050. 

 Result 2: Do agricultural products from Carinthia have a competitive advantage in terms of their environmental compatibility?

The life cycle assessment of many production sectors in Carinthia is far or very far superior to possible import sources. ecological balance of milk shows that it occupies a top position in a European comparison and has the best greenhouse gas balance in Europe . Reductions in production in favor of a lower climate footprint in Carinthia lead to a global deterioration while demand remains the same. Every liter of milk imported from the EU area leads to an additional 20 - 30% of greenhouse gases globally; for extensive beef, the value can rise to an additional 200%, depending on the country of origin. This means that all products with a favorable ecological footprint must definitely be produced in Carinthia. A smaller study with SVR-Süd companies produced a similar result for pork production.

Result 3: Recommendations for measures

The decision-makers in Carinthia are advised not to give normative weight to the discussion about target functions based on the global warming potential (GWP) (e.g. -32.7%), but rather to work proactively on measures that are suitable to stabilize NRF. These measures are:

1. The energy transition to prevent additional emissions from fossil CO2.
2. A noticeable intervention in the N balance of the soil and soil health through a whole package of measures to reduce N2O emissions. Contributions can be made, for example, by expanding N-reduced feeding, improving the N balance and N efficiency in fertilization (fertilizer reduction, use of stabilized mineral fertilizers, etc.), expanding organic farming, measures to avoid using inputs that increase yields, and expanding pasture farming , improvement of fertilizer application, careful cultivation of grassland and arable land, minimal tillage, etc. can be carried out.
3. In the global context, the dynamic exit from the import of feed with a high proportion of all kinds of environmental impacts. This exclusion requires the implementation of a Carinthian protein strategy as preparation. An equally complex topic, which ranges from the quality of basic feed in grassland to crop rotation in the field and the use of by-products from the food industry.
4. The use of feed with CH4-lowering properties as an additional contribution to ruminant farming.

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