Farmers urge Charlie McConalogue to ‘hold the line’ in talks on carbon cuts

Farmers are urging Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to “hold the line” on keeping carbon emission cuts to the lower end of the scale expected from the sector in upcoming Government talks.

Ministers have been told they will have to achieve the upper end of sectoral emissions targets to give Ireland a chance of hitting its climate goals.

This means agricultural emissions would have to drop by closer to 30 per cent rather than 22 per cent — the lower end of the proposed range published last November.

Meetings have begun between Minister for Climate Change Eamon Ryan and ministerial colleagues over sectoral targets and they are to continue over the next three weeks.

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The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) is calling on Mr McConalogue to ensure cuts from agriculture are kept to the lower end of the mooted scale.

[ Ireland may miss carbon budgets over failure to cut emissions in agriculture and transport ]

[ Ryan says sense of doom around climate action projections is understandable ]

Its president, Pat McCormack, said: “It is necessary that we hold the line and set an aspiration that’s achievable for us.”

Mr McCormack said: “We have to hold at the 22 per cent in order to keep commercial farming financially viable in this country.”

He said that Ireland has been described by Governments in recent years as a “food island” and “we need to be cognisant of the fact of what the agricultural sector does for rural economies — it is the backbone”.

The Irish Farmer’s Association (IFA) said the full 30 per cent cut “would be likely to result in significantly reduced production which could devastate the farming sector in Ireland”.

Its president Tim Cullinan said: “The Government has done no research whatsoever on what the implications of a 30 per cent ceiling would be for Irish agriculture, the rural economy or what impact it would have on food production. They are operating in a vacuum.”

He said there needed to be “a full economic and social impact assessment” of any planned cuts, arguing that a 30 per cent reduction “would be likely to lead to carbon leakage and an increase in global emissions as production will move to other countries with weaker climate policies”.

“Irish farmers are embracing measures to reduce emissions and there are significant scientific developments on feed additives and other technologies, but it will take time,” Mr Cullinan added.

The Irish Times reported on Saturday that Mr Ryan’s team is advising Ministers across Government that targets to cut emissions, which are due to be set this summer, will be at the upper end of the ranges.

This means electricity production will have to cut emissions by close to 81 per cent, rather than the 62 per cent envisaged at the lower end of the range, and transport emissions will have to be reduced by up to half, rather than 42 per cent.

Some on Mr Ryan’s team believe economic factors are forcing farmers to make decisions which have a positive emissions impact, such as incorporating clover when reseeding grassland and lowering fertiliser consumption due to shortages and price rises caused by the war in Ukraine. They hope this will allow for earlier gains to be made without political flashpoints.

Talks between Mr Ryan and Mr McConalogue are expected to be tense. The Irish Times understands Mr McConalogue is set to push for the emissions cuts to be at the lower end of the scale due to the importance of maintaining food production, particularly in light of the situation in Ukraine.

A source said it is possible to reduce emissions while maintaining food production but the Donegal TD’s goal is likely to stay close to the 22 per cent cuts target and to deliver on that.

Mr McCormack said Ireland was the most environmentally efficient dairy producer globally and scientific developments are helping to reduce emissions.

He highlighted the need for food security in the context of the war in Ukraine and said food production in efficient countries such as Ireland should be promoted.