A review of Ireland’s land use, covering forestry, hedgerows and peatlands, is a “year, year and half away” from completion, according to Minister Pippa Hackett.

The review is required to allow Government to set an emissions reduction target for the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. The sector was the only economic sector left out when the Government announced legally binding emissions ceilings for all other sectors earlier this year.

The review is being conducted by stakeholders including the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc, NPWS and the EPA. Its ‘phase one’ report, due out next month, is “really just to assess, to map what our country is, what the land cover is,” Minister Hackett said.

The Minister said this mapping will be the “framework which we work with to deliver on phase two which is going to look for the details as to what we want from our land”.

She suggested that Ireland’s LULUCF emissions targets, which will come from the review, are “going to be challenging”.

Carbon targets increased for land use

Land use review is 12- 18 months away

Ireland’s emissions reduction targets to create carbon sinks through land use and forestry will be “challenging”, says Minister of State Pippa Hackett.