Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Dr Eimear Cotter

Senior Manager

Environmental Protection Agency

8 April 2014

Agenda

n Introduction

n Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Ireland

n EPA Climate Change Vision

Working with others for a Better Environment

EPA Strategic Priorities

Evidence based Decision Making

Prepare national greenhouse gas emission inventories and projections for EU and UN legislation

EPA Strategic Priorities

Research Programme

Commission Climate Change Research

Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

-4.5

-4

-3.5

-3

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

CO

2, M

ton

nes

16 Mtonnes of CO2

Key Goal : To ensure that positive carbon sequestration practices are recognised, promoted and sustained

EPA Climate Change Vision

Livestock Management

Sustainable Land

Management

Sustainable Food

Production

Forest Land Management

An integrated framework encompassing agriculture and land use sectors

Current issues……

A strategic approach to optimisation of national land use is required

Wider potential and economic benefits of ecosystem services realised and included in mitigation costs and benefits

Assess how the sink from all managed land systems can be maintained or enhanced

Existing accounting rules only allow some of potential sink from other land-use sectors to be realised

Holistic approach to agriculture and land sector

Agriculture

- Greenhouse gas emissions increasing

- 32% of national emissions

- Demanding EU targets

Land Sector

- Large potential sink

- 9Mt in 2050

- Grasslands – more to offer

- Scope of international accounting is too narrow

EPA funded research related to Agriculture and Land use

On-going researchn Climate Change Research

n €2.4m

n Water and Soilsn €10.5m including flagship

Irish Soils Information System

(€3.6m)

n Total €12.9m over a 5 year period

Cost of Greenhouse gas emissions reduction options (Teagasc,2012)

Detection of management types within grasslands (UCC, 2013)

Next steps….

n Research needed to understand and optimise carbon sinks

n Engage at international level to shape future accounting frameworks

n Recognise that land use is one way to support achievement of climate change objectives

n Other activities include sustainable food production…..