Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 March 2018
292. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the consequence highlighted by an organisation (details supplied) if climate action, that is, environment protection is not undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14525/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I am acutely aware of the importance of recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in relation to the challenges facing us all regarding mitigation of emissions and the need to ensure that we are resilient and can adapt to climate change. It is important that every sector plays its part given Ireland’s very challenging 2020 and, provisionally agreed ,2030 targets. We must look to 2030 and beyond in formulating policies that will address the twin challenges of climate change and the global increase in demand for food. It is projected that there will be a 50% increase in global demand for food by as early as 2030. The IPCC 5th assessment report highlighted that globally, food sources will become unpredictable, as population booms.
Therefore, it is more important than ever that we continue to produce food, especially as our agri-food production system has been independently and internationally recognised as both climate and resource efficient. Our grass-fed, low carbon model of livestock production places us at an advantage versus other livestock producing nations and with the right approach to sustainable agri-food and the right mitigation techniques, we can approach our responsibilities to climate change in a very positive and effective way.
At national level we are taking a whole of Government approach to climate policy. Officials from my Department work very closely with other Departments and in particular, with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, which is the lead department in this area.
We have used this collaborative approach to make the most of opportunities such as actively following the IPCC in relation to the development of their Special Report on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security.
Ireland supported the concept of a Special Report by hosting a preliminary workshop in 2015 and subsequently Ireland along with Costa Rica, New Zealand and Tanzania sent a letter to the IPCC proposing that a Special Report on Climate Change, Food and Agriculture be undertaken. The IPCC formally considered this and other various proposals for special reports as part of the 6th assessment cycle which will culminate in a 6th assessment report in time for the first global stock take in 2023. Following difficult discussions the IPCC agreed to produce three Special Reports one of which is on land/agriculture issues (Climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems’).
In 2017 Ireland again hosted the IPCC at which the terms of reference for the Special Report were agreed. This Special Report will be developed under the joint scientific leadership of Working Groups I, II and III supported by the WG III TSU (Technical Support Unit). Ireland will host the IPCC leader author meeting later this year with the Special Report expected to be completed in 2019.
