Simon Coveney warns against ‘very unbalanced picture of agricultural land emissions’
The role of forestry in emissions may be one of the decisions made at the global summit on climate change which started on Monday in Paris.
“Afforestation has a major part to play in achieving Ireland’s climate change targets in the context of an overall European target of a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030,” said Mr Coveney last week.
“Ireland was paddling a lone canoe on this issue for a long time, but we now have agreement in the European Council that afforestation of agricultural land will count as a positive in the calculation of the overall emissions challenge of agriculture and land use.
"That is a major achievement which we must hold on to in the context of the setting of those targets.”
He said, “We have been spending €119 million on afforestation right through the past five years in the context of very difficult budgetary choices.
"To clarify, that is all Exchequer money; none of it comes from the EU.
"We will continue to prioritise forestry and if we can afford to spend more, we will do so.”
Responding in the Dáil to a question from Richard Boyd Barrett, the People Before Profit Alliance party TD for Dún Laoghaire, Mr Coveney said Ireland is well below the European average in terms of forest cover, but is one of the very few countries in Europe that is actively promoting afforestation of agricultural land, and Coillte is looking to expand and invest in its forestry interests.
“Persuading farmers to plant agricultural land with trees has always been a challenge, and it has been a particular challenge in recent years as farmers prepare for expansion and so on.”
Separately, Mr Coveney has said more flexibility in relation to forestry and afforestation is needed in the threat response plan being led and managed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht through the National Parks and Wildlife Service, including an assessment of measures and land designations to protect the hen harrier.
“There are ways to facilitate limited forestry in certain parts of those designated lands within reason, if we can show that it will not interfere with or upset the habitat of the bird.
"That is what we are attempting to do.
"The threat response plan is taking some time and some people have grown frustrated with the process.
"As such, we have asked if we can look at the forestry elements of it as a priority, separate to the overall threat response plan, to fast-track decisions on afforestation.”
“First, we want very strong financial supports in terms of the designation and the conditions around them.
"Second, we want farmers to get a commercial income where reasonable from their lands, whether through farming or afforestation.”
- IFA Environment Chairman Harold Kingston said agricultural production must increase 70% to feed growing populations, even if global emissions are to be halved.
“There is a need to differentiate agriculture from other sectors when it comes to greenhouse gas emission reductions.”
“The carbon sequestration potential of agricultural soils, forestry and bioenergy needs to be recognised”.
- Leave dairy production in Ireland where it makes environmental sense, reduce it where it puts a strain on the environment, said ICMSA President John Comer, urging Taoiseach Enda Kenny to guard against ‘hobbling’ of the Irish milk sector by measures decided at the Paris climate summit.
Mr Comer said Irish milk production is amongst the least environmentally damaging, and most sustainable.
