Emissions of greenhouse gases increase the energy balance of the atmosphere (radiative forcing, RF). It gets warmer. The contribution of a single greenhouse gas depends on its quantity and physical properties. The effective quantity arises from the long-term dynamics of emissions and their breakdown in the atmosphere or biosphere. Although these relationships are easily understood and generally known, the standard method for accounting for greenhouse gas impacts foregoes the creation of dynamic time series. The method used is a simplified normalization, which, like an exchange rate, is multiplied by the emission quantities to produce the unit CO₂equivalents. This unit is decoupled from the actual or expected warming effect. Statements about the status or degree of achievement of political climate protection goals, i.e., climate neutrality, are therefore not possible. This is hardly a good starting point for decision-makers who need to communicate the credible impact of proposed measures!
on the timeline of changes in the energy balance since 1890, which roughly corresponds to the beginning of the industrial age in Carinthia HBLFA . The request also included a call for information on effective climate protection measures. The innovative method of "Functional Climate Protection" presented as a way to answer this question.
Functional climate protection incorporates time series analysis of radiative forcing as a fundamental function and supplements its results with life cycle assessments. The introduction of a long observation window (e.g., 1890 to 2050) allows for the representation of net impacts (NOF). Functional climate protection offers decision-makers roughly the following decision tree:
- Have we achieved the goal of climate neutrality for at least one greenhouse gas ? If so, can we achieve further improvements in climate protection? If not,
- How environmentally friendly can a much-needed product be manufactured domestically? If there is a comparative advantage, the product should be manufactured domestically, even considering other climate impacts, because outsourcing production leads to a greater overall burden. If there are more efficient producers abroad, domestic production should be discontinued, unless...
- The proven interactions are so significant that this effect is directly or indirectly destroyed.
Result 1: Has Carinthia already achieved climate neutrality with regard to individual greenhouse gases?
Agriculture
- For methane (CH4), climate neutrality has long been achieved. The starting point has even been undercut. Decision: No urgent need for action.
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)has been approaching climate neutrality for some time. Decision: Action is required to the extent of the WAM scenario.
- Carbon dioxide from agriculture (CO2),not shown. Decision: see overall CO2 impact
overall economy
- Carbon dioxide emissions in the overall economy (CO2)are far from achieving the goal of climate neutrality even under WAM conditions.
- Taking into account the baseline levels (NRF), the total amount of all agricultural greenhouse gases will reach 5.7% in 2020. This figure will decrease 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 superior to that of potential import sources. For example, the life cycle assessment of milkthat it ranks among the top producers in Europe and has the best greenhouse gas balance in the country . Reductions in production to improve Carinthia's carbon footprint, assuming demand remains constant, would lead to a global deterioration. Every liter of milk imported from the EU contributes an additional 20-30% to global greenhouse gas emissions; for beef from extensive farming, this figure can rise to over 200%, depending on the country of origin. This means that all products with a favorable ecological footprint should definitely be produced in Carinthia. A smaller study of farms belonging to the Southern Carinthian Association for Environmental Protection (SVR-Süd) yielded similar results for pork production.
Result 3: Recommendations for measures
Decision-makers in Carinthia are advised not to give normative weight to the discussion about target functions based on global warming potential (GWP) (e.g., -32.7%), but rather to proactively work on measures suitable for stabilizing NRF. These measures are:
- The energy transition, to prevent additional emissions from fossil CO2.
- A significant impact on soil nitrogen balances and soil health can be achieved through a comprehensive set of measures to reduce N2O emissions. Contributions can be made, for example, by expanding nitrogen-reduced feeding regimes, improving nitrogen balances and nitrogen efficiency in fertilization (fertilizer reduction, use of stabilized mineral fertilizers, etc.), expanding organic farming, implementing measures to avoid yield-enhancing inputs, increasing pasture grazing, improving manure application, implementing gentle cultivation practices for grassland and arable soils, and practicing minimal tillage, among other measures.
- In a global context, this requires a dynamic phase-out of imported feed with a high proportion of environmental impacts of all kinds. This phase-out necessitates the implementation of a Carinthian protein strategy as preparation. This is an equally complex topic in itself, ranging from the quality of forage in grassland to crop rotations in arable land and the utilization of by-products from the food industry.
- The use of feed with CH4-reducing properties as an additional performance contribution to ruminant husbandry.
Downloads on functional climate protection in Carinthian agriculture
