Agriculture projected to fall short of climate target

Emissions savings are projected from a variety of measures including switching to different fertilisers, limits on nitrogen fertiliser usage, and bovine feed additives.

The agriculture sector is projected to fall short of reaching its 2030 climate action target, but Ireland’s largest farm organisation has said that farmers “deserve great credit” for the improvements they are making on the ground.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) was reacting to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent greenhouse gas emissions projections for 2022 to 2040.

The analysis shows that planned climate policies and measures, if fully implemented, could deliver up to an overall 29% emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 2018, a reduction of 4% each year from 2022 to 2030.

This is insufficient to achieve the 51% emissions reduction target set out in Ireland’s climate act.

All sectors, except residential buildings, are projected to underperform relative to the sectoral emissions ceilings. Agriculture, electricity, transport, and industry sectors are projected to be the furthest from their sectoral ceiling in 2030.

Total emissions from agriculture are projected to fall by between 4% and 20% over the period 2021 to 2030. The target for agriculture is 25%.

Savings are projected from a variety of measures including switching to different fertilisers, limits on nitrogen fertiliser usage, and bovine feed additives.

'Overly negative'

IFA president Tim Cullinan said “there is a huge focus on reducing emissions”, and that the “vast majority of people are trying to play their part”.

“We should be more positive about what is being achieved rather than being overly negative,” Mr Cullinan said.

“The reality is that the 51% reduction target was set without any consideration for the economic or social consequences of measures to achieve it.”

“In our sector, the EPA data shows we are already on track to achieve 19% of our 25% reduction target, even with some of the proposed measures on diversification excluded in the modelled projections.”

Mr Cullinan said that what is being done by farmers on the ground deserves “great credit”, especially “relative to what is happening in some other countries, particularly outside the EU”.

Mr Cullinan added that “we need to bring people with us”, and the efforts people are making must be acknowledged, “and stop using the language of failure and give people hope”.

Macra na Feirme said that the projected figures for agriculture “show the commitment of farmers to climate action”.

Macra national president Elaine Houlihan said that with proper supports and generational renewal at its heart. “I believe farming can achieve its aims,” she said.