The leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have written to the leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan seeking greater details on the actions necessary to achieve their targeted emissions reduction.

The Green Party have emerged as a central player in government formation talks and one of their central demands has been for a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7% annually.

Considerable work will have to be done

ADVERTISEMENT

In a joint letter responding to a list of questions from the Green Party, Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin said they wished to tease out the specific actions needed to achieve the reduction.

Agriculture

Specifically they highlighted the impact it would have on employment, poverty, agricultural practise, public transport and regional development.

“Considerable work will have to be done to outline where and when further carbon reductions could or should come from given that we will have to significantly reboot and revive the economy,” the letter states.

“No party will want to introduce changes that will jeopardise employment or increase levels of poverty or have a negative impact on rural and regional development. “

Methane

Significantly for agriculture, Ireland’s position on methane also gets a mention.

Agriculture accounts for almost all of Ireland’s methane emissions

Varadkar and Martin said: “We will also need to consider the correct target for biogenic methane, on which the Climate Change Advisory Council have advised the application of a different target than that for other greenhouse gases.”

Agriculture accounts for almost all of Ireland’s methane emissions.

The pair believed that a Climate Bill that would put a net zero target for 2050 into law should be brought forward and enacted within the first 100 days.

Flag waving

Reacting to the document, Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Tim Cullinan said the next Government had to look at how emissions were being calculated before “rushing headlong into environmental flag waving while ignoring scientific developments”.

Farmers must also be given credit for sequestration

“I acknowledge the recognition in the response from FF/FG to the Green Party that biogenic methane must be treated differently. This is an important development,” Cullinan said.

“However, farmers must also be given credit for sequestration and the new climate bill has to factor in the latest Teagasc research which shows that nitrous oxide emissions from farming are being over counted,” he said.

Cullinan said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael could not allow “the Green Party tail to wag the dog”.