On page 13 of the Irish Farmers Journal this week, Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) chair Marie Donnelly outlines her thoughts on some of the issues she feels are essential to allow the agri sector meet its climate emission reduction targets.

The interview comes following the publication of a report a number of weeks ago from the CCAC in conjunction with the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council which suggests Ireland could face up to €26bn in fines unless more investment is carried out now to help reduce emissions.

The particular area Donnelly calls out for the agri sector is the investment that should be happening now by the Government, farmers and the industry in slurry and feed inhibitors that are new technology solutions to help farmers and food producers meet climate obligations. The potential solutions for the agri sector will become even more important if livestock numbers stabilise. For years, the sector’s emissions have benefitted from both dwindling livestock numbers and inputs used.

Age of slaughter

If, as we hope, livestock numbers stabilise, if farmers start spreading slightly more nitrogen to grow feed, and if the “age of slaughter” data continues to plateau, the emission reduction progress will slow down. That’s why Donnelly believes the Government should incentivise the use of these new technologies.