UK could miss net zero target if eco-friendly farming scheme is delayed, warns report

Farming union NFU wants two-year delay but Green Alliance says move would keep emissions high beyond 2035

There will be a substantial gap" in UK agriculture's efforts to reach net zero if post-Brexit environment-friendly subsidies are delayed by another two years, according to new analysis.

The National Farmer's Union (NFU) is urging the government to delay Environmental Land Management schemes (Elms) until 2025 and keep the EU's Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in the interim period, which pays farmers for the amount of land they own, regardless of its impact on the environment.