This Climate Action Plan 2019 is a multi-sectoral policy document. The objective of the Plan is to enable Ireland to meet its EU targets to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 per cent between 2021 and 2030 and lay the foundations for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. It outlines the current state of play across key sectors including Electricity, Transport, Built Environment, Industry and Agriculture and sets out 180 actions that need to be taken. The Plan promotes to reduce food waste. The target is to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Many of the changes that are required in the Plan to reduce Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions will have co-benefits, including those that make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. The measures proposed in the Plan include: 1). Deliver expansion of forestry planting and soil management to ensure that carbon abatement from land-use is delivered over the period 2021 to 2030 and in the years beyond, with increased afforestation rates to an average of 8,000 hectares per year; 2) Supplement the attractive financial incentives already in place (for faster afforestation, sustainable forest management, and wood mobilisation), with knowledge transfer programmes to raise awareness of the benefits of forestry and ecosystem services; 3). Protection and enhancement of biodiversity and water quality; 4) Support the development of blue bioeconomy through such projects as the Clean Oceans Initiative and support the realisation of the value-add from processed marine biological resources; 5) Promote the transition to a circular bioeconomy at the regional level through Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies; etc. The Plan also supports enabling more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems. Irish Government will support diversification within agriculture and land use to develop sustainable and circular value chains and business models for lower carbon intensity farming, including, organic production, the production of bio-based products and bioenergy through the Common Agricultural Policy and implementation of the National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy. With the help of the agri-food sector, the Government will further mainstream and strengthen the verifiability of Origin Green to promote low-emissions intensity production at both the farm and processing levels, which will help farmers earn a market premium. Other measures are: Design effective knowledge-transfer interventions that reduce barriers to rapid deployment, by farmers, of new technologies and changes to farming practices and land use and enhance the transfer of knowledge between farmers and other stakeholders; Improve livestock management, including through extended grazing; Establish feed modification programme; Introduce measures to promote improved efficiency in livestock; Review animal health and finishing regimes; etc. Tackling carbon emissions in Ireland’s agricultural sector has proved difficult. The make-up of greenhouse gas emissions differs in Ireland from most other European countries because of the role Ireland plays in supplying meat and dairy products across Europe and the world. Agriculture (largely through methane associated with our herds) makes up 32% of emissions from sectors in Ireland compared to just 11% in the rest of Europe. Some of the key measures for agriculture sector include: Accelerate the assessment of feed additives to mitigate methane emissions from enteric fermentation, including identification of their abatement potential in grazing-based systems and the perceived risks to food safety; Build on the online nutrient management planning to immediately progress more efficient nitrogen use through enhancement of soil fertility; Better management of peatlands and soils; etc. In terms of governance, the establishment of the Climate Action Delivery Board will ensure that the delivery of the plan is overseen by the Taoiseach’s office. Every public body will be given a climate action mandate by their line Minister to prioritise climate action and new letters of expectation will issue to semi-state bodies on climate action.
Ireland · 2019-06-01