Ireland will sign up to a global pledge to cut emissions of methane by 30% by 2030, according to reports.
RTÉ reported yesterday that Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed Ireland will be joining the international agreement to slash methane emissions, which began as an agreement between the US and EU and which other global economies are expected to join.
At the end of September, the US and EU made a joint pledge to reduce “human-caused” methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared with 2020 levels.
According to the pledge, the “short atmospheric lifetime of methane means that taking action now can rapidly reduce the rate of global warming”.
The US and EU were hoping to get other countries on board with the pledge, namely: China; Russia; India; Brazil; Saudi Arabia; Qatar; the UK; New Zealand; South Africa; and Norway (which is not a member of the EU).
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 yesterday evening (Monday, November 1), Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue outlined how Ireland will play a role in meeting the target set out in the pledge.
The minister explained that the EU intends to meet this 2030 reduction target by cutting emissions from agriculture (biogenic methane) by 10% and cutting methane emissions from non-agricultural sources (such as landfills and some forms of energy production) by 50%.
This 10% cut in biogenic methane is in line with Ireland’s plan – under the Food Vision 2030 Strategy – to cut emissions of the gas from agriculture by 10%.
Minister McConalogue went on to say that a reduction in the average age of slaughter from 27 months to 24 months would result in a one-eighth (12.5%) reduction in biogenic methane emissions, and that the government was working towards reducing the average age of slaughter.
He noted that it would be a way of reducing methane without reducing herd size.
The minister also noted the potential for feed additives and animal genetics as other courses of action to reduce biogenic methane.