Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021
147. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his Department has made an assessment on the likely impact on Ireland’s emissions profile of his decision to include the impact of wetlands in national and sectoral greenhouse gas emissions reporting as outlined in his statement of 21 January 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22895/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraManaged Wetlands are currently reported In Ireland’s national greenhouse gas emission inventory submissions to the EU and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. However, while EU Member States currently report emissions and removals from the land use sector, there are no specific targets for emissions and removals from land use. This will change with the application of a new EU land-use accounting system, under the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation (LULUCF). Under the new system, emissions and removals will be assessed over two consecutive accounting periods, the first from 2021 to 2025, and the second from 2026 to 2030. Accounting takes place twice covering the 5-year periods: for the first time in 2027 when 2021 to 2025 inventory data is reported, and for the second time in 2032 when 2026 to 2030 inventory data is reported.
The impact of emissions and removals from five out of six land use sectors will be included in the new system from 2021 (Managed Cropland, Managed Grassland, Afforestation, Deforestation, and Managed Forests), with Member States having the option to include the impact of the sixth, Managed Wetlands, in this first period. Ireland has opted to include the impact of Managed Wetlands on greenhouse gas emissions and removals from the beginning of 2021. This voluntary accounting puts Ireland on a stronger footing for accounting for greenhouse gas emissions and removals and in making the strategic changes required to support the country to meet our national, European and international climate change targets.
It is important to note that due to the uncertainty related to emissions from Managed Wetlands it is not currently possible to provide definitive estimations for such contributions. Factors which will support a net removal of emissions from Managed Wetland for the period 2021 to 2025 include:
- a reduction in peat extraction activity, for example through the recent cessation of peat harvesting by Bord Na Móna; and
- the restoration and rehabilitation activities planned under the Bord na Móna Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme.
It should be noted that there are also activities that could potentially cancel out some of the expected net removals (e.g. an expansion of horticultural peat extraction above that in the reference period 2005 to 2009 or fires on wetlands).
