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Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Dr Eimear Cotter
Senior Manager
Environmental Protection Agency
8 April 2014
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Agenda
n Introduction
n Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Ireland
n EPA Climate Change Vision
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Working with others for a Better Environment
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EPA Strategic Priorities
Evidence based Decision Making
Prepare national greenhouse gas emission inventories and projections for EU and UN legislation
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EPA Strategic Priorities
Research Programme
Commission Climate Change Research
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Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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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
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Key Goal : To ensure that positive carbon sequestration practices are recognised, promoted and sustained
EPA Climate Change Vision
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Livestock Management
Sustainable Land
Management
Sustainable Food
Production
Forest Land Management
An integrated framework encompassing agriculture and land use sectors
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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
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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
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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)
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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…..