ICOS responded to a public consultation by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on the development of Ireland’s first National Mitigation Plan to combat climate change.

The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015, which is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas contains the establishment of a National Mitigation Plan (NMP). This will be a key instrument in Ireland’s overall efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In terms of agriculture, the NMP will be guided by a long term vision based on the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. This means in practice that GHG emissions from agriculture should be fully offset by carbon sequestration by grassland soils, forestry and other land use by 2050.

Please click at the following link to view our submission:

http://www.icos.ie/publications/icossubmissions/

By Eamonn Farrell