A recent carbon footprint report published in New Zealand is now under review after Teagasc researchers pointed out significant errors in its compilation.

The report, which used data from a range of years and different methodologies from various countries, placed the average Irish dairy farm’s carbon footprint at 1.18kg CO2e/kg FPCM (carbon dioxide equivalents per kg of fat and protein corrected milk).

Commenting on the report at a webinar held by Teagasc on 3 February to explain the errors in the report, Teagasc researcher Laurence Shalloo stated: “We would expect their emissions to be different to ours, but just not that different.”

Shalloo added that the researchers were “apologetic” and are working to correct the errors, which led to Ireland’s footprint being 60% behind New Zealand’s.

Future footprints

Perhaps more importantly Shalloo pointed out the future direction of Irish dairy emissions.

There is plenty of scope to improve the Irish figure he noted. The use of new emissions factors, which are now included in the national greenhouse gas inventory compiled by the EPA, will see Ireland move to 1.01kg CO2e/kg FPCM. A move to protected urea will further reduce the figure to 0.91kg CO2e/kg FPCM.

Reducing crude protein in the diet would see the figure drop further to 0.87kg CO2e/kg FPCM (footprint of imports would reduce here), while taking account of carbon sequestration will see the target figure move to 0.7kg CO2e/kg FPCM as part of Teagasc’s new signposts programme.

Teagasc data on the way

Shalloo stated that Teagasc is now working to get “our science out there” and will publish this work in the coming weeks. He noted that the New Zealand report which used data from 2012 and 2014 was based on our numbers but their calculation process.

He outlined that the National Farm Survey data from 2019 placed Ireland’s dairy carbon footprint at 1.14kg CO2e/kg FPCM. The top 10% of those surveyed on carbon footprint had a more efficient figure of 0.87kg CO2e/kg FPCM.