Climate action plan ‘doesn’t bite the bullet’
The new Climate Action Plan should have done more to combat greenhouse gas emissions from farms, it’s been said.
The Government plan, launched on Monday, aims to give Irish people a cleaner, safer and more sustainable future and identifies how Ireland will achieve its 2030 targets for carbon emissions, and puts the country on a trajectory to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The far-reaching plan sets out over 180 actions, together with hundreds of sub-actions, that need to be taken at a time when the warning signs are growing, and the time for taking action is rapidly reducing, the Government said.
However, Dr Eoin Lettice, Plant Scientist at UCC, said while the some parts of plan are to be welcomed and worthwhile, more could have been done to reduce greenhouse emissions from farms.
He said: “It doesn’t bite the bullet. The main issue that I can see is that if you look at greenhouse gas emission from agriculture in Ireland, it accounts for about one-third of our total greenhouse gases and a huge proportion of is that due the dairy and beef industry.
“When the quota was lifted a few years ago on dairy production in Ireland, you’ve an intensification of dairy production and therefore greenhouse gases have shot up along it. So if we don’t tackle the dairy issues, we are really going backwards.”
He said there’s two ways of abating agriculture emissions which includes a reduction in herd size, although he said this is controversial as farmers need to earn a living, but he also said that they could adapt just like people will have to adapt to electric vehicles (EV) and different ways of heating the home.
The second option that may work, he said, is modifying the grass that cows eat.
“There’s work ongoing to breed new grass varieties which are easier to digest and therefore the cow releases less methane and other greenhouses gases,” said Dr Lettice.
Green Party Cllr Oliver Moran said that he welcomed the plan overall but also said that more could have been done to tackle agriculture emissions.
One aspect of plan that the northside cllr liked was the proposal to have zero emission postal services in Cork by 2020. He said: “It makes sense and one of the ways to do it with EVs and bicycles with carriages behind them. People often think of the northside and the hills but with electric bicycles, it’s not an issue. I know a lot of people who own electric bicycles and it’s no bother going anywhere in Cork.”
He said that it was small ideas like these that when rolled out over a large period will make a big difference.
During the launch of the Plan, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: “Our approach will be to nudge people and businesses to change behaviour and adapt new technologies through incentives, disincentives, regulations and information. Our objective, as we plan for the future, is to transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient society. This plan represents the sum of our hopes for the future. Our call to action in the fight to save our planet.”