The government has confirmed that the agriculture sector will have to cut its greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions by between 22% and 30% by the end of this decade.
The Climate Action Plan 2021 has been launched today, and it contains the percentage ranges of targets that each sector of the economy will have to meet by 2030.
It was reported a number of weeks ago that this range for agriculture would be between 21% and 30%. This has been altered slightly in the finalised report, to between 22% and 30% by 2030.
A specific target remains to be set, but this will be a matter for the Oireachtas to debate and decide. Agriland understands that this may take up to four months.
The plan used emissions from each sector in 2018 as the baseline; in other words, emissions will have to come down compared to what they were in that year.
The agriculture sector has the lowest range of targets of the five sectors concerned. The other sectors are electricity generation; enterprise; buildings; transport; and land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF).
Emissions reductions to range for each different sector
The different ranges for each sector is based on the fact that different sectors have different capacities to reduce emissions in the required timeframe.
The plan also proposes some actions and aims that will be taken within the sectors (including agriculture) to ensure they meet these targets.
The plan envisages a “significant reduction” in nitrous oxide emissions by changing farm-management practices.
It also aims to change animal breeding and feeding. A wider prevalence of organic farming is also one of the interventions noted in the plan.
Furthermore, the Climate Action Plan will also see agricultural materials as feedstocks (raw materials) in the production of 1.6 terawatt-hours/year of biomethane for injection into the national grid by 2030.
Opportunities for diversification, carbon farming and the potential of methane-reducing feed additives will also be looked at.
Stay tuned to Agriland for more coverage on the Climate Action Plan 2021.