Identification of the Weak Stages of the Agricultural Sector’s Progress toward Climate Neutrality

The agricultural sector’s progress towards climate neutrality is of great importance not only in the climate but also in the economic and social context. The agricultural sector is the 3rd largest emission-generating sector both in Latvia and Europe, and it directly and/or indirectly affects all other sectors. Climate-neutral agriculture is highly dependent on innovations that ensure maximally efficient farming, which does not only reduce emissions, but also ensures competitiveness in the market. However, all of this is fundamentally influenced by well considerate policies. Although the goals of the Green Deal are united, each country’s situation must be thoughtfully considered individually to evaluate the best action plan for integrating the EU’s common agricultural policy. In addition, due to the complicated structure of the sector, it tends to be very difficult or even impossible to determine the real obstacles and mistakes that delay the progress of sustainable farming. Therefore, this research aims to create a system dynamics model using Latvia as a case study, which would not only provide an insight into the system’s structure but also identify the system’s weak links and allow for the development of recommendations. The results could help policymakers in any country to make rational, non-controversial decisions simultaneously in the context of economic and Green Deal objectives. The results of the study demonstrate that in order to increase economic competitiveness and reduce emissions in agriculture, the most important aspect is the ability to invest in innovations and new technologies that would achieve not only the lowest emissions, but also the highest productivity and competitiveness in the market

The Agricultural Sector towards Climate Neutrality

Agriculture is one of the leading sectors which significantly contribute to the increase of GHG emissions, thus contributing to the negative impact that climate change can cause on biodiversity and create extreme weather changes, raise the sea levels, revers ocean currents etc. One of the main objectives of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is to improve and promote the sustainability of rural regions by providing economic support and direct payments to ensure farmers’ incomes, which can be compared with the level of other sectors. Direct payments are not only a way to reward farmers but also an opportunity to generate income for farmers in an environmentally friendly operation, providing compensation for possible losses due to reduced production intensity or for costs incurred by farmers in applying climate and environmentally-friendly practices. However, the mechanisms used in the CAP – direct payments and subsidies – do not significantly increase agriculture’s sustainability and technological efficiency. Using a results-based scheme, it is possible to see more clearly the relationship between payment and biodiversity achievements; farmers are defined with specific results that must be achieved. Still, no specific actions are being taken taken to arrive at the results. In this article, the analysis based on a sustainability assessment of CAP measures is performed and blind spots are identified

Transition to Climate Neutrality at University Campus. Case Study in Europe, Riga

[EN] 100 cities in Europe have committed to being pioneers and achieving climate neutrality by 2030. It is crucial to start with the decarbonization of cities because, although they cover only 3 % of the Earth's land, they produce 72 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. This paper contributes to the city decarbonization research but on a smaller scale. We study the decarbonization potential of a university campus. It is a unique part of a larger urban area. It represents a cross-section of the population of different socio-economic backgrounds and ages, generating irregular schedules and constant movements of people and goods throughout the day. Riga Technical University is one of the pioneer universities in Latvia that has decided to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. This study aims to provide a qualitative review of the potential for improvements and describe the preliminary CO2 simulation model that includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. A particular challenge is the Scope 3 emissions, which focus on changing user habits. A survey of Riga Technical University students and employees was developed and conducted to analyse the most effective solutions for this type of emission. Survey results and future work recommendations are presented together with the model outline.This research is funded by the European Social Fund within the Project No 8.2.2.0/20/I/008 'Strengthening of PhD students and academic personnel of Riga Technical University and BA School of Business and Finance in the strategic fields of specialization' of the Specific Objective 8.2.2 'To Strengthen Academic Staff of Higher Education Institutions in Strategic Specialization Areas' of the Operational Programme `Growth and Employment'.Bumbiere, K.; Barisa, A.; Pubule, J.; Blumberga, D.; Gómez-Navarro, T. (2022). Transition to Climate Neutrality at University Campus. Case Study in Europe, Riga. Environmental and Climate Technologies. 26(1):941-954. https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2022-007194195426

An Assessment of the Impact of Latvian New Common Agriculture Policy: Transition to Climate Neutrality

Agriculture ranks among the key sectors responsible for substantially rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The increase in emissions contributes to the adverse effects of climate change, including threats to biodiversity, the potential for extreme weather events, elevated sea levels, and alterations to ocean currents. The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a comprehensive framework that aims to achieve sustainability and advance the agricultural sector’s journey towards climate neutrality by addressing social, economic, and environmental goals. The study aims to evaluate Latvia’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAP SP) and to evaluate the impact of the policy. The goal of the study is to determine which objectives are more likely to succeed based on the overall state of Latvia’s agricultural sector and by evaluating the provided information in Latvia’s CAP. The assessment of the CAP SP reveals that there are clear and specific metrics in place for the high-impact goals, particularly those related to addressing climate change and managing resources. According to the TOPSIS analysis, the climate change (SO4) and environmental care (SO5) objectives demonstrate the most significant impact. Objectives associated with European Union policies, such as the National Energy and Climate Plan, European Green Deal, and Farm to Fork strategy, are more likely to succeed than objectives not connected to these or similar policies

Ranking of Bioresources for Biogas Production

Production of biogas using bioresources of agricultural origin plays an important role in Europe’s energy transition to sustainability and to a climate-neutral economy. The usage of some substrates like maize has been increasingly denounced in the last years and there is currently an active discussion about future subsidies to biogas producers depending on the substrate used. The aim of this study is to compare and rank different substrates for biogas production considering their economic feasibility, substrate efficiency and environmental aspects. During the research, eight substrates were evaluated: cattle manure, pig manure, poultry manure, straw, wood, maize silage, waste, and sewage sludge. In order to reach the research goal, multi-criteria analysis using TOPSIS methodology was applied to objectively determine which of the substrates considered would be the most suitable for biogas production in Latvia. The results obtained showed that pig manure is the most suitable raw material for biogas production in Latvia, while poultry manure was ranked second, with little difference in value from pig manure