Ireland’s Climate Action Plan (ICAP) 2019 and subsequent plans were extremely strong on forestry – especially afforestation – as a major contributor to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century.
However, many of the direct references to afforestation and the role of the forestry and the forest products sector in climate change mitigation are missing in ICAP 2025.
“ICAP’s past statement that ‘afforestation is one of the largest land-based, long-term climate change mitigation measures available to Ireland’ has now been removed completely,” said Joe Codd, PRO of the Society of Irish Foresters.
“Previous plans also included a national target of 18% forest cover by mid-century but this has also been deleted,” he added.
“It’s a major disappointment to see that forestry is not as prevalent in ICAP 25. For example, the word afforestation, which appeared 24 times in the 2024 version, is now mentioned only four times.”
ICAP outlines an 8,000ha annual afforestation target as opposed to a 2,400ha forecasted programme this year,
At the recent RDS Finding Common Ground event, Prof Cathal O’Donoghue, University of Galway (UG), presented findings from the EPA-funded AFFOR project on what is required from forestry to achieve climate change goals.
“Forestry offers strong long-term benefits for farmers compared to their existing farming activities, with the exception of dairy production,” he said.
“In addition, the carbon price per tonne of CO2 is projected to increase by €8 annually until 2050, as outlined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reforms Public Spending Code.
Carbon storage
“As a result, the economic value placed by the State on carbon storage will continue to rise, outpacing the relative returns to agricultural production.”
As afforestation rates have declined considerably since 2014, “ the annual planting rate required to reach the goal of carbon neutrality has increased to 18,000ha,” claimed Prof O’Donoghue.
“By contrast, both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and ICAP have reduced their official annual targets to 8,000ha, a level insufficient to deliver carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land use sectors.”
Much of the criticism of ICAP and Ireland’s performance in climate change mitigation is now aimed at our “falling afforestation rates, which is a major concern,” said Donal Whelan, director of the Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA).
“As Ireland continues to fall short of its afforestation targets, our ability to tackle climate change is reduced, which is likely to lead to major financial penalties,” he added.
“The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council have both highlighted the risk of significant financial penalties for non-compliance with emission targets,” said Prof O’Donoghue.
While continued missed afforestation targets have major implications for the forestry and forest products industry, he said it also carries significant risk for the wider agriculture sector.
“Should EU fines for missed targets become a reality, it is unclear whether taxpayers will continue to subsidise agricultural emissions, especially during a future economic downturn,” he said.
“Instead of being viewed as a threat, forestry should be embraced as a complementary land use that plays a key role in offsetting methane emissions from the national herd”.
Prof O’Donoghue dismissed suggestions that large-scale afforestation is no longer attainable as “a historical precedent exists” for viable planting programmes.
“Following Ireland’s accession to the then EEC in 1973, our forestry systems and planting incentives were restructured and annual planting programmes in excess of 20,000ha were achieved in the 1990s,” he said.
“So, Ireland has done it before and can do it again. This will require strong sectoral leadership, new mechanisms to support planting and sectoral development and a national commitment to action”
Forestry Development Agency
Both ITGA and SIF believe the establishment of a Forestry Development Agency (FDA) is vital in providing the kind of sectoral leadership that forestry now requires to deliver a realistic climate change programme.
ITGA has joined other industry representatives, from nurseries to timber processing, in calling for a FDA said Donal Whelan.
“ITGA see an independent FDA as an organisation, which would help drive afforestation and other targets in our national forestry programme,” he said.
Joe Codd supports this view as “there has never been a more important time for the establishment of an FDA structure” which needs to be part of the mid-term forestry review.
“A FDA would address issues such as achieving a viable afforestation programme as well as the development of wood and non-wood goods and services, and the need for a properly funded forest research programme.” he said.
“Delivering decarbonisation goals for the agriculture and land use sectors will not be possible under a ‘business as usual’ scenario, claimed Prof O’Donoghue.
In his 2022 paper, The Economics of Afforestation and Management in Ireland: Future Prospects and Plans, he said: “There is merit in exploring new governance structures such as establishing a FDA to undertake a leadership role in developing the sector and to coordinate and deliver actions within the sector.”
ICAP target 8,000ha insufficient to deliver carbon neutrality.Annual planting needs to increase to 18,000ha to achieve carbon neutrality.Afforestation forecast for 2025 estimated at 2,400ha.Forest sector calls for a FDA independent body.Teagasc conifer harvest factsheets
Teagasc has issued eight new forestry factsheets titled “Controlling a Timber Harvest”.
“These are aimed at providing supports to forest owners who are selling timber,” said Tom Houlihan, acting head of the Teagasc Forestry Development Department.
“It’s important that owners are directly involved in selling their timber, even when a forester is involved in the process.”
The factsheets are especially relevant at present as the number of forest owners with timber for sale has increased dramatically due to storm damage.
The factsheets cover the following topics:
Timber security. Organising a timber sales contract.Timber products from conifer forests. Payment schedules for timber sales. Timber stack measurement. The role of timber harvester heads in recording a harvest. Timber sales dispatch systems. Telling timber; weight versus volume. “The common message throughout the eight factsheets is that information gathering during a timber sale is key to maintaining control of the process until timber reaches its destination and the sale is complete,” said Frances McHugh, Teagasc Forestry Communications Specialist.
The factsheets are available free of charge and can be accessed online (www.teagasc.ie/timbersalesfactsheets) or hard copy from Teagasc local forestry advisers (www.teagasc.ie/forestrystaff).
Ireland’s Climate Action Plan (ICAP) 2019 and subsequent plans were extremely strong on forestry – especially afforestation – as a major contributor to achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century.
However, many of the direct references to afforestation and the role of the forestry and the forest products sector in climate change mitigation are missing in ICAP 2025.
“ICAP’s past statement that ‘afforestation is one of the largest land-based, long-term climate change mitigation measures available to Ireland’ has now been removed completely,” said Joe Codd, PRO of the Society of Irish Foresters.
“Previous plans also included a national target of 18% forest cover by mid-century but this has also been deleted,” he added.
“It’s a major disappointment to see that forestry is not as prevalent in ICAP 25. For example, the word afforestation, which appeared 24 times in the 2024 version, is now mentioned only four times.”
ICAP outlines an 8,000ha annual afforestation target as opposed to a 2,400ha forecasted programme this year,
At the recent RDS Finding Common Ground event, Prof Cathal O’Donoghue, University of Galway (UG), presented findings from the EPA-funded AFFOR project on what is required from forestry to achieve climate change goals.
“Forestry offers strong long-term benefits for farmers compared to their existing farming activities, with the exception of dairy production,” he said.
“In addition, the carbon price per tonne of CO2 is projected to increase by €8 annually until 2050, as outlined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reforms Public Spending Code.
Carbon storage
“As a result, the economic value placed by the State on carbon storage will continue to rise, outpacing the relative returns to agricultural production.”
As afforestation rates have declined considerably since 2014, “ the annual planting rate required to reach the goal of carbon neutrality has increased to 18,000ha,” claimed Prof O’Donoghue.
“By contrast, both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and ICAP have reduced their official annual targets to 8,000ha, a level insufficient to deliver carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land use sectors.”
Much of the criticism of ICAP and Ireland’s performance in climate change mitigation is now aimed at our “falling afforestation rates, which is a major concern,” said Donal Whelan, director of the Irish Timber Growers Association (ITGA).
“As Ireland continues to fall short of its afforestation targets, our ability to tackle climate change is reduced, which is likely to lead to major financial penalties,” he added.
“The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council have both highlighted the risk of significant financial penalties for non-compliance with emission targets,” said Prof O’Donoghue.
While continued missed afforestation targets have major implications for the forestry and forest products industry, he said it also carries significant risk for the wider agriculture sector.
“Should EU fines for missed targets become a reality, it is unclear whether taxpayers will continue to subsidise agricultural emissions, especially during a future economic downturn,” he said.
“Instead of being viewed as a threat, forestry should be embraced as a complementary land use that plays a key role in offsetting methane emissions from the national herd”.
Prof O’Donoghue dismissed suggestions that large-scale afforestation is no longer attainable as “a historical precedent exists” for viable planting programmes.
“Following Ireland’s accession to the then EEC in 1973, our forestry systems and planting incentives were restructured and annual planting programmes in excess of 20,000ha were achieved in the 1990s,” he said.
“So, Ireland has done it before and can do it again. This will require strong sectoral leadership, new mechanisms to support planting and sectoral development and a national commitment to action”
Forestry Development Agency
Both ITGA and SIF believe the establishment of a Forestry Development Agency (FDA) is vital in providing the kind of sectoral leadership that forestry now requires to deliver a realistic climate change programme.
ITGA has joined other industry representatives, from nurseries to timber processing, in calling for a FDA said Donal Whelan.
“ITGA see an independent FDA as an organisation, which would help drive afforestation and other targets in our national forestry programme,” he said.
Joe Codd supports this view as “there has never been a more important time for the establishment of an FDA structure” which needs to be part of the mid-term forestry review.
“A FDA would address issues such as achieving a viable afforestation programme as well as the development of wood and non-wood goods and services, and the need for a properly funded forest research programme.” he said.
“Delivering decarbonisation goals for the agriculture and land use sectors will not be possible under a ‘business as usual’ scenario, claimed Prof O’Donoghue.
In his 2022 paper, The Economics of Afforestation and Management in Ireland: Future Prospects and Plans, he said: “There is merit in exploring new governance structures such as establishing a FDA to undertake a leadership role in developing the sector and to coordinate and deliver actions within the sector.”
ICAP target 8,000ha insufficient to deliver carbon neutrality.Annual planting needs to increase to 18,000ha to achieve carbon neutrality.Afforestation forecast for 2025 estimated at 2,400ha.Forest sector calls for a FDA independent body.Teagasc conifer harvest factsheets
Teagasc has issued eight new forestry factsheets titled “Controlling a Timber Harvest”.
“These are aimed at providing supports to forest owners who are selling timber,” said Tom Houlihan, acting head of the Teagasc Forestry Development Department.
“It’s important that owners are directly involved in selling their timber, even when a forester is involved in the process.”
The factsheets are especially relevant at present as the number of forest owners with timber for sale has increased dramatically due to storm damage.
The factsheets cover the following topics:
Timber security. Organising a timber sales contract.Timber products from conifer forests. Payment schedules for timber sales. Timber stack measurement. The role of timber harvester heads in recording a harvest. Timber sales dispatch systems. Telling timber; weight versus volume. “The common message throughout the eight factsheets is that information gathering during a timber sale is key to maintaining control of the process until timber reaches its destination and the sale is complete,” said Frances McHugh, Teagasc Forestry Communications Specialist.
The factsheets are available free of charge and can be accessed online (www.teagasc.ie/timbersalesfactsheets) or hard copy from Teagasc local forestry advisers (www.teagasc.ie/forestrystaff).
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