Decarbonization in Agriculture: Developing Effective Tools for GHG Emission Reduction and Progress Monitoring

Abstract The agricultural sector has historically been a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) on a global and European scale. In order to achieve the objectives set out in the Paris Agreement, which is to limit the temperature rise, it is required to implement a comprehensive decarbonization strategy across the entire economy, including the agricultural sector, as well as within individual agricultural companies. Decarbonization planning tools play a vital role in assisting companies to gain insights into their existing GHG emissions, explore abatement measures, and prioritize decarbonization actions for implementation. While several decarbonization planning tools exist, the unique complexities of agriculture—such as carbon sequestration in soils and livestock management—render general tools insufficient. The analysis of existing studies highlights the key functionalities that an agriculture-specific decarbonization tool should have. These include data input fields for data specific to the farm, GHG emission calculations and tracking by source, an assessment of soil health, and the prioritization of abatement measures based on decarbonization potential. Additionally, the tool must enable farmers to monitor year-on-year progress to ensure effective decarbonization. Challenges may arise from user experience, suggesting further research is needed on integrating artificial intelligence or other Agriculture 4.0 technologies into decarbonization planning tools for the sector of agriculture.