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Climate Change Policy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2019

Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Ceisteanna (70)

Pat Deering

Ceist:

70. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the key elements of the climate action plan 2019 which will put Ireland on a course for carbon neutrality without compromising capacity for food production. [28561/19]

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Freagraí scríofa

The All-of Government Plan to tackle climate breakdown sets out a target to reduce emissions from 20.2mt in 2017 to less than 19mt by 2030; equating to cumulative abatement of between 16.5 and 18.5 Mt CO2 eq over the period 2021 to 2030 for the agriculture, sector. In addition, the sector will also deliver an additional 26.8 Mt CO2 eq cumulative abatement through better land use management such as afforestation and improved management of peaty grasslands.

The plan identifies 34 actions for the sector that will contribute to our transition to a low carbon economy and society across abatement measures, carbon sequestration measures and displacement of fossil fuels and reflects our three-pillar policy approach to achieving carbon neutrality without comprising sustainable food production of:

1. Reducing agricultural emissions;

2. Increasing carbon sequestration; and

3. Displacing and substituting fossil fuel and energy intensive materials.

These actions in the plan are informed by the recent Teagasc Marginal Cost Abatement Curve report (MACC) - An Analysis of Abatement Potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030 as an identifiable suite of actions for delivery. These actions include both efficiency measures such as the Dairy EBI programme and technical measures such as changes in fertiliser type or low emissions slurry spreading as well as a series of forestry and bioeceonomy measures.

While the target for the sector is challenging, immediate action and early adoption is key and there are three important actions that can be advanced immediately.

- Deepening engagement with farmers and other stakeholders to promote the necessary deployment of new technologies and changes in farming practices.

- Improving nitrogen use efficiency such as widespread adoption of low emissions slurry spreading or introduction of clover in grassland swards; and

- Continuing our support for research and innovation such as the potential of novel feed additives in grass-based production systems.

To reach the target of 19 Mt CO2 eq or lower in 2030 will require us to manage the emissions profile from the sector between now and then through mobilisation of as many of these actions as possible as early as possible with high levels of take-up across our 139,000 farms. While I am confident that these actions once implemented early can deliver emissions reductions that would allow maintenance of our current national herd count, market conditions are likely to indicate a reorientation of systems within the herd.

There are already a significant number of measures in place which support these actions ranging from enhanced regulation to improve nitrogen use efficiency such as seen in the recent review of our Nitrates derogation to incentives which encourage afforestation and improved animal efficiency such as the BDGP and BEEP schemes. However, I am not complacent on this important issue and my Department continues to review and develop new measures that will realise the ambition for the sector.

Higher ambition on environmental and climate action are part of the new CAP, post-2020, and it is proposed that 40% of the overall CAP budget will contribute to climate action. This will require farmers to achieve a higher level of environmental ambition through both mandatory and incentive-based measures. All mechanisms, such as the CAP reform, market incentive and regulation will be investigated in full by all the relevant stakeholders, including industry, to mobilise the necessary actions as swiftly as possible. While the mitigation potential for agriculture is limited, agriculture can and must play a key role in contributing to Ireland’s climate change and energy targets in the years ahead.

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