Climate change is a major challenge in Europe as well as globally with potential implications for issues including food security and environmental protection. As reflected in the priorities for the current period, EU rural development policy must play its part in contributing solutions. Rural areas and activities can be surprisingly large contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, they can be seriously affected by the impact of climate change, threatening food supplies and biodiversity.

Agriculture and forestry have a particularly complex role to play in mitigating climate change. Beyond reducing their own emissions, they can deliver renewable sources of energy to replace fossil fuels in other sectors and increase carbon sequestration from the atmosphere. This article explores these ideas and the ways in which Rural Development Programmes have already supported the evolution and spread of climate-friendly rural practices and the potential to achieve even more progress in this direction.