A National Carbon Farming Framework for Ireland is set to be delivered by quarter two (Q2) 2024, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
It is anticipated that the framework will provide guidance to all stakeholders on the key principles for the development of carbon farming in Ireland, the DAFM said.
Carbon farming aims to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in soils and reward farmers for reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.
In advance of a national framework on carbon farming being published, it will be going to public consultation in the “coming weeks” to seek further stakeholder views, the DAFM confirmed to Agriland.
Carbon farming framework
A public consultation to the guide the development of a National Carbon Farming Framework was announced by the DAFM in September last year, which saw over 450 submissions.
This framework aims to increase the ambition and participation of land managers in the areas of carbon removal, emission reductions and ecosystem services, the DAFM said.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue previously said a “well functioning” framework is “essential” to generate an income from removing and storing carbon in soils, forests, grasslands, croplands and hedgerows.
The DAFM chairs the Carbon Farming Working Group which was established in August 2023 to provide guidance on the development of a National Carbon Farming Framework.
The opportunities for carbon farming are many and there is a growing market for carbon sequestration, however, co-ordinated monitoring, verification and reporting methods are so far missing at an EU-wide scale, the DAFM said.
EU certification
Ireland’s plan for a national framework coincides with EU discussions on a proposal for a voluntary framework for carbon removals across Europe made by the European Commission in 2022.
Last month, the European Parliament adopted the provisional agreement reached with EU member states (Council of the EU) on a new voluntary certification framework for carbon removals.
The legislation covers different types of carbon removals, namely permanent carbon storage through industrial technologies, carbon storage in long-lasting products and carbon farming.
The law now also has to be formally adopted by the council which is expected in early autumn. The law will then be published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later.