A new European Commission proposal to certify the amount of carbon removed through farming does not go far enough, according to one Irish MEP.
Ireland Midlands North-West MEP Colm Markey was responding to the plan that was revealed yesterday (November 30) by the commission.
The proposal aims to “boost innovative carbon removal technologies and sustainable carbon farming solutions”.
However, Markey said the proposal is “not robust enough to deliver for the environment and farmers”.
“We need robust measures and measurements to attract investment and I don’t believe this proposal goes far enough in that regard. It does recognise enhanced carbon credits but needs to go further in this space too, including the energy footprint on the farm,” he said.
Markey added: “Ultimately, if someone is decarbonising their energy in other sectors, it should be recognised. Overall, we need a baseline in the longer term that can demonstrate where carbon is stored and the true value of that carbon. If that’s not done, the true level of inward investment will be limited.
According to the Fine Gael MEP, the plan lacks detail.
“The idea that you could be rewarded for your management of peatlands and wetlands is a positive, but there’s not enough detail in terms of how that would work and the impact it would have agricultural production so we need much more clarity.”
“The proposal talks about individual member states doing individual actions and that means we won’t have a consistent framework across Europe. I believe that, in itself, will undermine the value of the credibility of schemes from one country to the next,” Markey commented.
He added: “However, it is important to point out that this is the start of the process and I look forward to discussing improvements to the scheme when it comes to the European Parliament in the months ahead.”
The EU has said that carbon farming practices can sustainably enhance the storage of carbon in soils and forests or reduce its release from soils, and create a “new business model for farmers and foresters”.
However, it has also been met with criticism from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), which described the proposals as “very disappointing and more likely to be a white elephant than a future cash cow”.