Conference hears call for strategic rethink on cutting emissions

IRELAND needs to find innovative ways of reducing and offsetting agricultural emissions in order to comply with European Union targets and to avoid damaging the viability of agriculture in the years to come, a conference will be told in Dublin today.

The call for a strategic rethink will be issued at an Institute of International and European Affairs conference in Dublin Castle on the greening of Irish agriculture and responding to the challenge of climate change.

The institute noted that Ireland, according to a European Council agreement, will be required to reduce emissions by at least 20% by 2020 and that nearly half of these emissions come from agriculture.

Jill Donoghue, director general, said Irish agriculture emissions are predominantly made up of methane from farm animals and nitrous oxide from soils and fertilisers.

Among developed countries, only New Zealand compares internationally.

“This means that Ireland has a unique strategic challenge and will be required to make the transition to sustainable agricultural production before its European partners,” she said.

Ms Donoghue said failure to introduce cuts in the agriculture sector will mean an increase in the burden on other sectors. Eventually a point will be reached where Ireland’s “distance to target” begins to appear unmanageable.

“The challenge we therefore face is determining how targets can be achieved without reducing the national herd and damaging the Irish economy,” she said.

However, the situation also provides Ireland with a unique opportunity. It is at the dawning of the era of a carbon conscious consumer and a carbon competitive market place.

“If Irish agriculture can find ways to meet these challenges, it will be positioned to take advantage of these trends. The skills and research developed in the process would be valuable not only in Ireland, but in Europe and the wider world,” she said.