Hogan seeks break for farm emissions

ANALYSIS:Climate change policy and economic growth are not at odds in the Minister's 38-page report

IN THE dying days of the Fianna Fáil and Green coalition last December, then minister for the environment John Gormley published his cherished Climate Change Adaption Bill.

If the Bill had been passed, it would have led to the very unusual situation of policy objectives and targets being enshrined in law, with the Government and Oireachtas having a statutory obligation to meet them.

When Phil Hogan succeeded Gormley as Minister last March, he ordered a review of climate change policy. He also axed Comhar, the national sustainable development council, leading some to suggest he was a climate change sceptic. Those who suggest that, Hogan told The Irish Times yesterday, are “misinformed”.

The fruits of that review are published today in a 38-page document that examines Ireland’s current policies.

Hogan’s approach diverges substantially from that of Gormley in a number of key areas. Unlike his predecessor, Hogan does not see a Climate Change Bill as a priority. The legislation is promised in the programme for government but Hogan says no more than that it will be published during the Coalition’s lifetime.

Nor is he a fan of setting sectoral targets, an outlook that will draw criticism from climate change campaigners. He prefers an approach where stakeholders and sectors collaborate towards a common purpose of developing policies that will achieve a low-carbon economy.

In general, he contends that the biggest difference between him and Gormley is that he believes that climate change policy and economic growth do not conflict with each other, and can be complementary. To that end, he has set out a three-pronged strategy, asking the National Economic and Social Council to analyse and report on the best policies to achieve a low-carbon economy. He will simultaneously consult with all relevant bodies with an interest in climate change.

The third strand is the Government’s committee on climate change to ratchet up initiatives in the key sectors of agriculture, transport and energy. They include improvements in building regulations, smarter travel policy, changes to farming practices, energy conservation and renewable activities.

Another political priority for him is agriculture. This accounts for 40 per cent of Ireland’s emissions in the non-traded sector but he has argued that Ireland is unique as agriculture is a far bigger component of the economy here than elsewhere.

The EU target of a 20 per cent reduction of emissions by 2020 will set an onerously high bar for Ireland. Hogan will argue that unlike other EU states, where livestock is housed indoors, the high concentration of pasture in Ireland is a mitigatory factor.

On a wider level, he believes that a balance needs to be struck between climate change and agriculture policy. “Food security is being ignored at a time when we have reached the seven billionth person on earth. This area has to be looked at.”

The net argument he is making is for EU agreement to more modest reductions in agriculture emissions, or a different set of evaluations that take food security, pasture, forestry and land use into account.