The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action will discuss the sectoral emissions ceilings with Minister for Environment and Climate Action Eamon Ryan tomorrow (Tuesday, September 13).
The committee will meet in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House at 1:00p.m.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, the cathaoirleach of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, the Green Party’s Brian Leddin, said: “The emissions ceilings for each sector have now been agreed and the committee looks forward to discussing how these targets will be met with Minister Ryan.”
As part of the Climate Action Plan, the coalition government parties agreed on a 25% reduction in emissions from the agriculture sector by 2030 (relative to 2018 levels) in order to meet Ireland’s climate commitments.
The targeted cut in emissions was announced at the end of July.
Further to that announcement, emissions ceilings for the first two carbon budgets will be published in the coming weeks.
The Climate Action Plan sets out two carbon budget periods – one until 2025 and one from 2025 to 2030. Each of these carbon budgets sets out a cap on the total amount of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from each sector during those respective periods.
It is understood that the maximum amount of GHG emissions that can be produced by each sector – including agriculture – during each of the two carbon budget periods (up to 2030) will be announced shortly.
The department confirmed that the Climate Action Plan 2023 – due to be published by the end of this year – will set out the policies, measures and actions required to achieve a 51% reduction in overall GHG emissions across all sectors by 2030.
The next Climate Action Plan will implement the carbon budgets and the sectoral emissions ceilings.
The 25% reduction target has been criticised by farm organisations.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said that the 25% target is a “potentially devastating blow” for Irish farming and the rural economy.
“The government has agreed to a target without any pathway to get there or any budget to assist farmers to reduce emissions,” IFA president Tim Cullinan said.