UK Launches FASTA Programme to Scale Farming Net‑Zero Technologies

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The UK Agri‑Tech Centre and the Carbon Trust unveiled the Food Agriculture System Technology Accelerator (FASTA) on 1 December 2025. The initiative aims to help UK innovators scale technologies critical to sustainable farming, particularly through adoption of Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems. MRV helps track emissions, validate environmental impact, and unlock finance essential for measurable progress toward Net Zero in agriculture, a sector responsible for around 10% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. The programme stems from collaboration with industry stakeholders to enhance transparency and support innovation in farming practices.

Separately, inside housing sector developments, gas network operator Cadent has announced ambitious plans to scale hydrogen deployment from 2025. Key measures include delivery of the first scaled hydrogen‑blending facility in 2025, capabilities for 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030, a hydrogen skills academy, and hydrogen‑ready appliance rollout by 2026, alongside whole‑community heat decarbonisation pilot plans by 2025.

Together, these initiatives highlight contrasting but complementary approaches to meeting Net Zero: FASTA targets emissions transparency and data‑driven farming solutions, while Cadent focuses on infrastructure and skills for hydrogen energy pathways.

What this means:

The FASTA programme represents a pivotal step in aligning agriculture with credible Net Zero pathways. By delivering robust MRV systems, it addresses a long‑standing challenge in the sector: data reliability. Farmers, agritech firms, and financiers now have means to verify sustainability claims, improving access to green finance and encouraging wider adoption of low‑carbon practices. At scale, this could transform UK agriculture into a verifiable and investable climate solution.

Meanwhile, Cadent’s hydrogen strategy marks a significant infrastructure commitment to decarbonise heat through blending and production. Demonstrating hydrogen in real communities and upskilling the workforce lays groundwork for broader hydrogen economy rollout in the UK energy system. If successful, such efforts could drive down reliance on natural gas and support net‑zero heating in homes and businesses.

Both initiatives illustrate the range of policy and market‑led action required for a holistic Net Zero transition. They underscore the importance of innovation, cross‑sector collaboration, and enabling frameworks from MRV in farming to infrastructure deployment in energy networks.

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