IRISH AGRICULTURE cannot make major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to meet EU targets for climate change, Ireland has told other EU member states.
The agriculture industry could at most cut 3 per cent of the nearly 27 per cent it contributes to Ireland's overall emissions, according to a position paper by the Department of Agriculture.
The industry is operating efficiently and "there is little scope for large-scale greenhouse gas emission reductions", says the paper.
Ireland's farming industry is particularly vulnerable to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions since it produces the highest amount of such gases, mainly through methane produced by livestock, across the EU.
Agriculture contributes to 26.4 per cent of Ireland's overall emissions with Lithuania and Latvia producing the next highest at 18 per cent, according to figures presented by the Department of Agriculture yesterday. The average for the 27 EU member states is 9 per cent.
"We have a grass-based production system and our cattle are outdoors. We are high up the list," Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said yesterday before meeting his EU counterparts and the European Commission.
"We have very advanced research showing our systems are very efficient in a European Union-wide context."
He asked that forests be included in Ireland's compliance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "It's not clear that they'll be factored in," he told reporters ahead of the meeting.
The Minister also said reducing agricultural production in order to meet greenhouse gas targets would not solve the problem of climate change.
The move would mean food would have to be imported into Europe from other countries which would not have as efficient farming methods as those in Ireland. Transporting more food into Europe would also drive up CO2 emissions, Mr Smith added.
He also warned about reducing food production at a time of food insecurity. "There is a growing demand for food and we cannot reduce the EU's potential to produce food," he said.
Along with the plea to allow the contribution of forests to the reduction of greenhouse gases, Mr Smith also asked for more flexibility in how countries achieved their targets.
He suggested allowing member states to buy credits on the EU's emission trading scheme to meet their targets, to exchange parts of carbon emission allowance with other member states and for those member states with high targets to get more credits to offset their emissions by investing in projects in developing countries that reduce emissions (known as the clean development mechanism).
Mr Smith said a further 3 per cent may be cut in the agricultural emissions if the EU allowed countries to buy carbon credits.