Projected emissions data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be acknowledged as a “positive development” for agriculture.
This is according to the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), Tim Cullinan who spoke after the EPA published its latest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions projections today (Friday, June 2).
The report has forecast that agricultural emissions could fall by almost 20% by 2030, if a range of measures are put in place including specific methane reduction steps.
Commenting that there is a huge focus on reducing emissions and that “every citizen, including farmers”, should be acknowledged for the progress, Cullinan said:
“The vast majority of people are trying to play their part. We should be more positive about what is being achieved rather than being overly negative.
“The reality is that the 51% reduction target was set without any consideration for the economic or social consequences of measures to achieve it.”
The agriculture sector has been allocated an emissions reduction target of 25% by 2030, to contribute to the economy-wide target to cut emissions by 51% by the end of the decade.
The EPA data shows that the sector is “already on track” to achieve a 19% emission reduction even excluding some of the proposed measures on diversification, Cullinan said.
“This is being done by farmers on the ground and they deserve great credit for what they are doing relative to what is happening in some other countries particularly outside the EU.
“We need to bring people with us and acknowledge the efforts people are making and stop using the language of failure, and give people hope that we can continue to reduce emissions while having sustainable economic growth,” he said.
Economy-wide targets
Overall, the EPA has warned that Ireland is projected to fall well short of its climate target. Planned climate policies and measures, if fully implemented, could deliver up to 29% emissions reduction by 2030.
“This is insufficient to achieve the ambition of 51% emissions reduction in Ireland’s Climate Act,” the EPA said.
Climate spokesperson for the Social Democrats, Jennifer Whitmore said that “confirmation” that climate action targets will not be met “should not come as a surprise”.
Whitmore said “almost every sector is going to miss its target – including agriculture, transport and industry”. The projections, she said, are a “wholesale failure” which is “extremely alarming”.
Calling on the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan to inform of his plans to “turn this around”, she said:
“Every climate action target the government has set, since coming to power, has been missed. The government excels at climate rhetoric, but fails dismally at climate action.
“We have less than seven years to meet our legally binding climate targets. If we fail, not only will [our] country face a significant financial penalty, but our natural world and biodiversity will suffer irreversible harm.”
Emissions data
In the latest report published by the EPA, it has stated that the agricultural sector “contributed 38% of Ireland’s total emissions in 2021 and is projected to rise to 43% by 2030”.
However, according to the EPA, if new, additional measures are introduced including switching to different fertilisers, limits on nitrogen (N) fertiliser usage and bovine feed additives, then this could deliver an almost 20% reduction in total emissions from agriculture between 2021-2030.