Ireland needs to push ahead and implement all available cost-effective mitigation measures if it is to avoid missing its 2030 target for emissions reductions.

That was the overriding message delivered by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions mitigation specialist Philip O'Brien during the first in a series of Teagasc webinars on Friday.

During his presentation on ‘Greenhouse Gases – Why all the fuss?’, O’Brien said Ireland would almost certainly miss its 2020 targets.

However, if implemented, the climate action plan drawn up last year would see the 30% reduction target for 2030 achieved.

O’Brien stressed this was based on it being implanted sooner rather than later.

Based on provisional figures for 2018 emissions, there was little good news for any sector bar energy, he said.

Agriculture

Agriculture is set to continue accounting for the largest share of Ireland’s emissions, with methane and nitrous oxide the primary concerns.

O’Brien explained that while agriculture emissions were no higher than they were in the 1990s, 2005 was the reference year and they had increased since then.

Despite increases in efficiency for beef and dairy production, emissions had increased for dairy and remained constant for beef.

When asked if there would be a need to reduce herd size, O’Brien said it was a difficult question.

He said there were limits environmentally on the extent land use had been intensified, particularly around water, nitrates and ammonia.

He said Ireland was an efficient producer for dairy products and beef.

However, he added that the market increasing was looking for real integrity around environmental claims. He said this ultimately could be a driver of the national herd size.

Webinars

The Teagasc webinar series ‘Pointing the way to a low emissions agriculture’ continues on Thursday 9 April when representatives from the Department of Agriculture will discuss reducing emissions in Irish agriculture.

Those interested can sign up here.