Northern Ireland's DUP has said it will oppose plans to make carbon footprinting a condition of the Farm Sustainability Payment. The party's agriculture spokesperson, Michelle McIlveen, argues that the voluntary industry-led project is being turned into a punitive requirement, with farms losing 10% of their payment if they do not register and complete training by May 2029, rising to 15% the following year. She also points to a funding shortfall: the project needs £15.5 million over four years, but only £1.72 million is allocated this year, with no multi-year budget secured. The dispute highlights a broader tension in agricultural climate policy: how to drive participation in carbon audits without overburdening farmers or cutting support payments. McIlveen says the Climate Change Act only requires audits to be offered and fully funded, not tied to payment reductions. She also questions whether the single carbon calculator will give farmers full credit for hedgerows, grassland, and existing carbon sequestration. The regulations are due before the Assembly's Agriculture Committee, and the DUP has said it will not support them as drafted.
