The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Action has today (Thursday, March 28) decided not to recommend a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions tax on agriculture.

Commenting on the Climate Action report published this afternoon, Fine Gael senator for the Agricultural Panel, Tim Lombard, said the report “will provide a pathway for the farming community to implement actions and timely measures to reduce their carbon footprint”.

“The farming community has been perceived to be a major part of the problem regarding climate change – but this report highlights that farming activity will be a major part of the solution to a decarbonised Ireland by 2050.”

Lombard, the Co. Cork senator, outlined that the majority of these measures were in a Teagasc report that was published last year.

Senator Lombard outlined that recommendations regarding a national strategy for sustainable Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is prioritised in the report.

In relation to afforestation and forest management, it has been agreed that the Climate Action Council should undertake a review of the climate mitigation potential of our forestries.

Additionally, the significant sequestration potential of our peatlands is a very important element of this report.

Concluding, Lombard stressed: “Upon the publication of this report, farming must now be considered a major part of the solution to problems related to climate change, rather than an easy target of blame for these issues.”