Transport is the only sector facing maximum carbon cuts
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Transport is the only sector which will be expected to make upper limit carbon reductions under the Government’s plan to reduce greenhouse gases.
Agreement has been reached on the cuts that will be required across each sector in the next seven-and-a-half years after days of lengthy discussions between the three coalition parties finally reached a conclusion.
Farmers will have to cut their greenhouse emissions by one quarter by 2030 under the deal hammered out by the three main government leaders on Thursday afternoon.
The agreement comes after exhaustive talks between Green Party minister Eamon Ryan, who had been pushing strongly to set agriculture emissions cuts at the upper limit of 30%, and his coalition partners.
Mr Ryan had faced significant push back from Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue as well as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil backbenchers who had argued in favour of a target closer to 22%.
Both ministers had come closer to agreement in recent days, with Mr McConalogue holding out on 24% and Mr Ryan seeking a final figure of 26%.
Mr McConalogue last night stressed that the agriculture targets will be voluntary and will allow farmers to play their part.
He added that there will be generous financial incentives in return with an additional financial package in Budget 2023.
“This target reflects a very challenging but achievable ambition for the sector,” said Mr McConalogue.
"The protection and enhancement of our sustainable food production system, while ensuring that agriculture plays its part in climate change mitigation, has been a priority for this Government."
Mr Ryan added: “The scale of the challenge is so great that we do have to go the max.
The Climate Act 2021 last year set down reduction ranges for each sector to meet the overall legally binding target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a 51% reduction by 2030.
However, transport, which will now be expected to reduce emissions by 50%, is the only sector that has been asked to make the top cut outlined the Climate Act.
The electricity sector has been asked to bring down greenhouse gases by 75% by 2030, this figure is considerably less than the top band of 81% which had been mooted.
As well as increasing wind generation, some of this reduction will come from the rollout of solar panels on the roofs of cattle sheds.
Meanwhile, the building sector, which had been set a range of 44% to 56% last year has been broken up into two. Commercial and public building will be asked to bring down emissions by 45%, but a slightly lower rate of 40% has been set for residential buildings.
The Government has already indicated that these reductions will be achieved through measures including the retrofitting of 500,000 homes by 2030.
Some 400,000 heat pumps will also be fitted in existing homes and a further 250,000-280,000 in new homes.
Increasing the amount of land famers have in forestry will also be incentivised as will measures that will improve river water quality.
However the sectoral emissions ceiling for the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector has been deferred for 18 months to allow for the completion of the Land-Use Strategy.
This strategy will include an examination of the latest developments in scientific knowledge with a focus on the planting of more trees and the restoration of wetlands.
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