Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021
148. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has assessed the likely impact on Ireland’s greenhouse emissions profile of the inclusion of net land use emissions in the new EU land use accounting system as outlined in his statement on 21 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22896/21]
View answerUnder the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation adopted in May 2018, EU Member States have to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions from the land use sector are offset by at least an equivalent removal of CO from the sector for the period 2021 to 2030, based on defined benchmarks. This commitment is referred to as the "no debit rule". For example, if a Member State converts forests to other land uses (deforestation), it must compensate for the resulting emissions by planting new forest (afforestation) or by improving the sustainable management of existing forest, croplands, grasslands or wetlands. Under the LULUCF Regulation, Ireland can avail of 26.8Mt CO2eq credits associated with land use over the period 2021 to 2030. Thus for 2030, under EU legislation, Ireland will be able to use removals associated with land-based activities in meeting its 2030 emission reduction targets.
The Climate Action Plan identified the following measures for Ireland to achieve this 26.8Mt CO2eq of abatement:
- an average of 8,000 ha per annum of newly planted forest, and sustainable forest management of existing forests (21 MtCO2eq. cumulative abatement);
- at least 40,000 ha per annum of reduced management intensity of grasslands on drained organic soils (4.4 MtCO2eq. cumulative abatement);
- better management of grasslands, tillage land and non-agricultural wetlands (1.4 MtCO2eq. cumulative abatement).
