Ms Monica Gorman:

There was a question of whether agriculture should be exempted from the national responsibility but with agriculture contributing 25% of our carbon emissions, that would be very difficult. There must be a cross-sectoral sharing of responsibility. There is a wider question, and I accept that, because we have a grass-based system of cattle and sheep production, it is a somewhat more efficient way of growing meat than that which is grain-based. Nevertheless, to exempt agriculture would be very difficult and it may not be accepted across other sectors of industry. There must be scope within agriculture for cuts as well.