My latest on the EU budget and climate change. TLDR: The Common Agricultural Policy is terrible for the climate. (Thread.)
cer.eu/insights/eu-bu…
cer.eu/insights/eu-bu…
The CAP consumes 37% of the EU budget. But emissions from farming have been flat since 2005, despite the EU spending 20% of the farm budget on climate action. 
To which you might reply, well, maybe farm emissions have been flat but output has gone up, so the sector is improving?
Nope. Emissions 'intensity' - ie, as a ratio of output - has been flat in agriculture since 2008.
Nope. Emissions 'intensity' - ie, as a ratio of output - has been flat in agriculture since 2008.
The size of the CAP means that, whereas the EU will spend around €220 billion on climate friendly initiatives by 2020, €305 billion will be spent on subsidies for heavy emitters, largely in the form of farm subsidies.
Cutting CAP subsidy is vital in the next budget - by focussing it on small farmers who need income support (and Commission plans to make subsidy more conditional on green practices is welcome)
More expenditure on research and development of green technology, electrifying transport, improving energy efficiency in buildings, and electricity interconnections betwee member-states are needed.
To make space in the budget for those measures - and to curb subsidies for farms to damage the climate - the CAP needs to be *much* smaller. The next budget will take us to 2027 - a crucial window to get on top of climate change. (Ends.)
