It’s not about pointing the finger at farmers and telling them what to do – Ryan

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan has said that emissions reduction targets are not “about pointing the finger at someone [farmers] and telling them exactly what they have to do”.

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal this week about the targets, Minister Ryan said the focus on agricultural emissions should be on looking at a “range and reduction over time” rather than any year specifically.

The Green Party leader described the potential of major job losses in rural Ireland due to emissions reductions in the Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) report as not incorporating the opportunities to be gained through a just transition.

Appropriate measures

Speaking ahead of next week’s Government announcement on the emissions targets to be set for Irish agriculture, Minister Ryan said the targets should include “appropriate ambition” and that “ambition we can deliver on is where we need to go”.

He said that he doesn’t think agriculture should “obsess about what the target is for a particular year” and that farmers have to remember that there are long-term targets for 2030 and 2050. He noted that any measures rolled out will, therefore, have to come with flexibility.

“This is not about pointing the finger at someone [farmers] and telling them exactly what they have to do.”

Outlining his view on the future of Irish farming, he said: “It is very important that we will treat land use and farming separately.”

Farmer understanding

Minister Ryan believes that many of the farmers and farm representatives he has spoken to acknowledge and understand that something has to be done in relation to reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint.

He said there are “huge opportunities for this country and huge advantages we have”, including Ireland’s family farm and pastoral system, and that these must be utilised.

He said opting out of the green agenda would be an “absolute disaster” for farmers as “export markets are deeply concerned about climate change” and such a policy would be detrimental to market growth.