Changing the way we use our land – how we farm it and what we grow on it – will be key measure in achieving our target of net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, and a GHG reduction of 51% by 2030.

While the Climate Action Plan, published by government today (Thursday, November 4), commits the agriculture sector to a 22-30% GHG emissions reduction by the end of this decade, the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector must deliver a 37-58% emissions reduction in the same timeframe.

Reducing emissions from land use will require it to become an overall store of carbon, which will involve things like further bog rehabilitation, increased afforestation and rewetting of peat organic soils.

Additionally, a new forestry programme will be prepared for launch in 2023.

Land use – emission-reducing measures

In addition to existing re-afforestation targets, some of the core measures include a significant rewetting of our peatlands and more efficient grassland management to reduce emissions.

  • Forestry: Maintain existing afforestation plans, extend rotations and improve forestry management. By 2030, achieve a planting rate of 8,000ha/year – to increase carbon sequestration;
  • Deforestation: By 2030, limit deforestation rates to less than 900ha/year;
  • Peatlands and wetlands: By 2030, reduce management intensity of 80,000ha of drained organic soils; rehabilitate 65,000ha of peatlands;
  • Grasslands (mineral): By 2030, improve the management of 450,000ha of (mineral) grasslands – to increase carbon sequestration; increase the incorporation of straw to at least 10% of the tillage (cereal) area;
  • Cover crops: By 2030, increase the area under cover crops to 50,000ha.

Across the EU-27 since 1990, the LULUCF sector has been a net sink of GHG emissions, primarily due to the extensive forest cover.

In contrast, the Irish LULUCF sector has been a net source of GHG emissions in all years from 1990 to 2019.

This is largely due to the carbon sink from the land-use categories of ‘forest land’ and ‘harvested wood products’ being less than the carbon source from ‘grasslands’ and ‘wetlands’, according to the Climate Action Plan.