Ireland is legally bound by the Paris Climate Agreement to “a 40% reduction in EU-wide emissions by 2030”.
Animal Agriculture is the Leading Source of Climate Change emissions in Ireland.
- In Ireland Agriculture produces 33% of emissions or 20 Million tonnes of CO2 eq / yr.
- From 2015 – 2017 Agriculture Emissions have increased by 7% (EPA, 2019).
- According to the EPA 2019 GHG Emissions Projections Report (June, 2019): “Agriculture emissions are projected to continue to grow steadily over the period (to 2030) which is mainly a result of an increase in animal numbers particularly for the dairy herd.”
To address Climate Change in Ireland you have to address agriculture and land use.
Animal Agriculture is responsible for 99% of Ireland’s Agricultural Emissions.
How do we Reduce Agricultural Land Use and Restore Ireland’s Forests and Ecosystems and Transition to a Plant Based Food System?
- We need to End Subsidies for Animal Agriculture and pay farmers for Ecological Restoration and Plant Based Agriculture.
- A plant based agricultural system would reduce Ireland’s Emissions by 17 Megatonnes (Mt).
- Converting 1.7 Million hectares of land to native broadleaf forests could sequester 13.1 Mt of CO2 per year.
- Converting 1.1 Mha to native grasslands, meadows, and bog and wetlands could sequester 1.9 Mt of CO2 per year.
- By combining these two steps we can reduce Ireland’s GHG Emissions by 53%.
- Ireland is committed to a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. If we focus on fossil fuels this will cost an estimated €35 billion up to 2030. But simply by divesting from animal agriculture we could achieve a 50% reduction in emissions with no additional costs.
