In the 2014–20 CAP, environment is targeted through a combination of measures in both Pillar 1, through cross-compliance and green payments, and Pillar 2, mainly through voluntary measures with compensation for cost incurred and income forgone. The European Commission's legislative proposals for the CAP after 2020 would suppress green payments but their objectives would be retained as part of new conditionality requirements. A new environmental instrument would be introduced in Pillar 1, the ‘eco-scheme’, and the CAP would be implemented through national strategic plans offering Member States large room for manoeuvre in application of the principle of subsidiarity.

Agricultural economists recognise that climate change is one of the key challenges of our time. Yet, the carbon footprint of research activities has received little attention to date. Air travel from and to academic conferences is a major contributor to the carbon footprint of researchers. This article calculates the carbon emissions due to air travel of the 14^th Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists (EAAE) in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2014 and proposes strategies to reduce them. Total CO₂ emissions are estimated at around 300 tonnes or 0.5 tonne per participant. There are, however, large differences between participants, with 10 per cent of the participants accounting for 50 per cent of the emissions. Strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of the Congress are considered. Reducing the number of participants from non-European countries that attend the conference could significantly reduce emissions.