Changing farming practices could play an important role in averting dangerous climate change says the UN.

 

In their annual emissions report, they measure the difference between the pledges that countries have made to cut warming gases and the targets required to keep temperatures below 2C.

 

On present trends there is likely to be an annual excess of 8 to 12 gigatonnes of these gases by 2020. Agriculture, they say, could make a significant difference to the gap.

 

This is the fourth such report, compiled by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in conjunction with 44 scientific groups in 17 countries.

 

It says the world needs to reduce total emissions to 44 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2020 to keep the planet from going above the 2C target, agreed at a UN meeting in Cancun in 2010.

 

But when all the pledges and plans made by countries are added together, they show an excess of between 8 and 12 gigatonnes per annum in seven years time, very similar to last year's report.

 

Emissions from farming, including nitrous oxide from applying fertiliser and CO2 from ploughing fields accounts for more than 10% of the global total right now.

 

The UN cited the example of Argentina where 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided by a shift to conservation tillage that took place in the 1990s.

 

They argue that not only would it curb global warming, it would help poor farmers as well.

 

The report highlighted a number of other measures that could bridge the looming gap including energy efficiency, greater emphasis on renewables and reform of fossil fuel subsidies. The report also highlights the potential of phasing out incandescent bulbs on global emissions.