Beef Plan Movement (BPM) has called for immediate changes in Ireland’s climate change legislation and associated emissions targets.
Specifically, the organisation is claiming that the current legally-binding goal of a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 is unrealistic.
Beef Plan has claimed that it poses a significant threat to the Irish economy and the agricultural sector, in particular.
The aforementioned target is contained in Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021.
Beef Plan Movement vice chairman, John Moloney commented: “The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has estimated that failing to meet these ambitious targets could cost the Irish economy as much as €20 billion.
“This staggering figure underscores the immense financial burden that the Climate Bill places on the nation.
“Such a cost is unsustainable and risks undermining the very sectors that form the backbone of Ireland’s rural economy, particularly agriculture, which is already under immense pressure.”
According to the BPM representative, the 51% emissions reduction target was championed by the Green Party under the leadership of Eamon Ryan and was made legally binding.
“However, the recent election results, which saw the Green Party voted out of government, reflect widespread public dissatisfaction with their policies,” he continued.
“The Irish people have spoken. And it is clear that the current Climate Bill, with its draconian measures, does not align with the realities faced by ordinary citizens, particularly those in the agricultural sector.
“One of the most glaring issues with the Climate Bill is the unfair calculation of emissions, particularly in the case of biogenic methane.
“Unlike carbon dioxide [CO2], biogenic methane is part of a natural cycle, emitted by livestock and broken down in the atmosphere over a relatively short period,” he added.
Beef Plan has said that the current metrics used to measure its impact, such as the Global Warming Potential over 100 years (GWP100), fail to account for this cyclical nature.
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledged in its Sixth Assessment Report that biogenic methane emissions from livestock are being overstated by a factor of four to five,” Moloney continued.
“This misrepresentation unfairly penalises Irish farmers, who are already among the most sustainable in the world.”
Climate change
Beef Plan Movement argues that the targets set in Ireland’s Climate Bill are not only unachievable but also unnecessary.
Again, according to the farming body, the Paris Agreement, which Ireland has committed to, requires a reduction of just 18% in emissions.
“This a far more reasonable and attainable goal,” Moloney stressed.
“The current 51% target goes far beyond what is required by international agreements and places an undue burden on Irish farmers and the economy as a whole. The Climate Bill, in its current form, is draconian and unworkable.
“It threatens to devastate the agricultural sector, which is a cornerstone of Ireland’s economy and cultural heritage.
“We are calling on the government to immediately amend the Climate Bill, lowering the emissions reduction targets to a more achievable level.”
The organisation has said that this would not only protect the livelihoods of Irish farmers but also ensure that Ireland’s climate policies are “fair, realistic, and grounded in scientific accuracy”.