Although the council’s report does not include the latest greenhouse gas data for 2016, it looks at projections for the coming years and notes that agriculture has the second-highest expected increase in emissions after transport: “Agricultural emissions are projected to increase by between 4% and 5%, or between 800,000 and 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, by 2020, relative to 2015, as a result of increased production.”

Meanwhile, the national mitigation plan outlining Government policy on climate change advocates “an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production”. This was the position articulated by the Department of Agriculture at Monday’s Food Wise 2025 conference on the future of Ireland’s agri food industry.

There remains a pressing need to define what is meant by carbon neutrality with respect to agriculture and land use

The council found that “there remains a pressing need to define what is meant by carbon neutrality with respect to agriculture and land use, and to implement policies to ensure delivery on this objective”.

This includes quantifying the benefits from the various measures available to make farming more carbon-efficient or potential land use changes – moving from farming to forestry, for example.

“It is unclear if progress is being made in achieving neutrality in agriculture. Initiatives are in place; however, data is lacking and overall emissions are increasing,” the State’s independent climate watchdog found.

“Once its effects are measurable, agriculture should immediately adopt all available cost-effective measures to reduce emissions and enhance removals within the sector.”

“This should involve more efficient use of inputs and changes in land use.”

The report also points the finger at the greenhouse gas emissions from peatland drainage, including for agricultural use.

On the energy side, the Council recommends a strategy to phase out peat coal both for electricity generation and heating.

Full coverage: agriculture and climate change

Irish agriculture needs clearer target – climate watchdog

In its first annual report, the Climate Advisory Council has called for a clearer definition of the "carbon neutrality" objective assigned to farmers by Government policy.