8.7 Highlights and Challenges

Highlights

In July 2022 the Government announced sectoral emissions ceilings with the ceiling for M agriculture by 2030 set at 17.25 CO2 eq representing a 25% cut in emissions compared to 2018.

After two weeks in Sharm-El-Sheikh, COP27 concluded with an outcome that was M disappointing on mitigation/emission reduction ambition. However, on Ireland’s priority issue of Loss and Damage, supporting the most vulnerable communities and countries to deal with the worst impacts of climate change, there was a positive outcome that was stronger than many thought possible, and Ireland played an important role in making that happen. For the first time in the 30-year history of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, financial mechanisms, including a new fund, to respond to the Loss and Damage from the worst impacts of climate change, were agreed.

Challenges The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, published in 2021, aims to reduce total economy wide emissions by 51% by 2030 compared with 2018 levels. It also set an ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This increased ambition will significantly impact on all sectors of the economy, including the agriculture sector, making it even more important that the targets and specific agriculture actions in the Climate Action Plan are met and implemented effectively. Added to this at a European level is the Green Deal and the move to at least a 55% reduction of GHG emissions at EU level by 2030. Although progress is being made on the Farm to Fork, Biodiversity, and Methane Strategies further clarity is required as to how this will translate to the Effort Sharing Regulation.

Figure from page 254