The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2021 commits Ireland to a legally binding target of a climate neutral economy no later than 2050, and a reduction in emissions of 51% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Following the process set out in the Act, the Government last July approved sectoral emissions ceilings for both the first and second carbon budget periods, with the exception the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector, which will be determined by the end of 2023 at the latest. This process has established a 10% emissions reduction target for 2025 for our agriculture sector, and a 25% emissions reduction target for the sector by 2030. In the coming weeks, Climate Action Plan 2023 will be published outlining the actions which will be undertaken in order to meet these targets.Each Minister with responsibility for a sectoral ceiling will be responsible for monitoring the progress of their actions to ensure they will meet their targets and must address any shortfall through amending current policies and/or developing new ones. Ireland along with over 100 other countries, has signed up to the Global Methane Pledge which seeks to specifically reduce methane emissions globally by 30% by 2030 based on 2020 levels. It is important to highlight that this is a global target, not an individual target for Ireland. Domestically, methane emissions from our agriculture sector will reduce in the coming years with new technologies, more efficient animals, and diversification across the sector. However, our contribution to this global target will not come solely from our agriculture sector. Landfill also contributes to methane emissions. We will reduce these emissions by sending less waste to landfill by 2030; by reducing waste overall; by adopting a circular economy which ensures products are renewable and reusable; and by ensuring that waste is a last resort. Methane is also emitted in the production and transportation of fossil fuels, especially natural gas which currently meets a significant portion of our energy needs. These are known as ‘fugitive emissions.’ In the coming years Ireland will significantly reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels by expanding our domestic renewable energy resources.
