The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, expects that “there won’t be a huge change” in the emissions from the agriculture sector between 2021 and 2022.
The minister was speaking before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action today (Thursday, February 16) as part of a discussion on the Climate Action Plan 2023.
The plan, which outlines the measures needed to meet legally binding emissions targets, was approved by government last December.
An annex of actions, including expected delivery times, to accompany the Climate Action Plan is due to be published next week.
Ireland has an emissions-reduction target of 51% by 2030, relative to 2018 levels. The country is also aiming to achieve climate neutrality no later than 2050.
The government wants to cut emissions from the agriculture sector by 25% by the end of the decade.
Emissions
The minister told the committee that sectoral emissions data for 2022 is due to be published in April.
“In agriculture, there may well be a reduction because I think there was a reduction in fertiliser use perhaps of about 14%, which obviously would reduce emissions,” he said.
“But at the same time, I’m quite certain our dairy herd continued to expand.”
According to data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) this week, overall cattle numbers fell by 1.5% in 2022 compared to 2021.
However, the figures show that the number of dairy cows rose by 5,000.
“Compliancy could not serve us because the overall [emissions] numbers will probably, even with the fertiliser reduction, not see a huge reduction, because the herd size, probably the side dairy in particular, I’d imagine, increased,” Ryan said.
Climate
Minister Ryan said that 33,000ha of Irish soils are currently being rewetted, which is leading to a reduction in emissions. There are plans to rewet around 80,000ha, he added.
The minister said there are “loads of examples” happening that are pointing towards the country changing and “moving in a greener direction”.
This included the “massively over-subscribed” Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Ryan said there is a “continuing issue” where our forests are becoming a carbon source rather than a carbon sink.
The minister acknowledged that there had been an issue with afforestation in recent years, but expects planting to increase under the new Forestry Programme.
Ryan said there has been a significant increase in the volume of organic farming in the past 2-3 years, adding that “hundreds of people” are turning up to organic farm visits.
“The development of mixed-sward farming systems where you have really clever, good grass management, the constraint now is not around farmers wanting to do it, but it’s getting access to the seed.”
The minister acknowledged that there will be a significant challenge in meeting emissions targets.
“Agriculture and land use has to change, but it will be a change for the better because we will have to pay young farmers and families to provide some of the nature-based solutions that are going to be part of this change,” Ryan said.