Estimates of emissions and removals from the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector are “highly uncertain”, according to the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC).
In its Annual Review 2023, published last week, the CCAC said that the provisional estimates of emissions from this sector for 2022 are largely unchanged compared to 2021.
While a national emissions reduction target for 2030 has not yet been assigned to this sector (unlike agriculture, which is required to cut its emissions by 25% by that year), Ireland has signed up to a target of net emissions reduction of 0.6MT of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2030 under the EU’s LULUCF regulation.
Emissions from the sector and projected to increase in that period, and Ireland is not on track to meet the EU-mandated emissions reduction, according to the CCAC.
However, there is a lack of certainty over the estimates on the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) being emitted from and removed by the LULUCF sector in Ireland, the advisory body said.
In terms of forestry, one of the key activities in this sector, the CCAC review noted that the rate of afforestation nationally remains will below the target of 8,000ha, with only 2,273ha planted in 2022.
The review also said there has been “good progress” on the rewetting and rehabilitation of Bord na Móna-owned peatlands. However, according to the CCAC, significant progress in improving the management of other peatlands “has not been demonstrated”.
The CCAC recommended that the government “fully reflect” the agreed EU LULUCF target when establishing the national emissions reduction target for the sector.
The council also said it “strongly recommends” that the government immediately put in place the necessary resources to streamline and accelerate processes to implement the new Forestry Programme 2023–2027, following state aid approval.
According to the CCAC review, an “improved understanding” of the impact of afforestation on drained peatlands “indicates that historical planting on these lands had adverse impacts on climate and biodiversity”.
The CCAC recommended that the government “recognises landowners’ need for resources and practical guidance to best manage these areas, including options for rewetting and rehabilitation to enhance their carbon storage capacity and resilience to climate change”.
The review also suggests that a review and revision of the primary legislation regarding afforestation and the management of existing forests should be considered.
The CCAC review took a strong stance on the extraction of peat for horticulture use, saying “it is unsustainable and must cease”.
“There remain a number of enterprises that continue to extract peat, in a number of instances without planning permission or an environmental licence,” the review claimed.
“Government, in collaboration with industry, should enable the necessary research and development to identify alterative sustainable horticultural substrates,” the CCAC recommended.