Dr. Eugene Hendrick:

In COM (2016) 479, a proposal under LULUCF, the activities covered are afforestation, deforestation, cropland management and grazing land management and it is an aggregate of these four categories that applies. The flexibility that is on the table is available in respect of these four particular land uses between 2021 and 2030. The flexibility available is 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per annum. We estimate that net afforestation will contribute 2.2 million of the 2.7 million tonnes total, with the balance coming from cropland and grassland. We do not regard afforestation as an offsetting mechanism but as an investment in climate change mitigation. This will come at a cost, however. We estimate the total cost for most of the forest that will come into compliance - the 2.2 million tonnes figure - will be €3.5 billion between 1990 and 2030. There is, therefore, a cost associated with it.

We view afforestation as a land-based investment in climate change mitigation. The programme is under the forestry programme from 2014 and 2020 and we anticipate increasing the afforestation rate to approximately 8,300 ha. by 2020 from the current rate of approximately 6,600 ha. We expect the rate to increase next year to 7,200 ha. We view this measure as a national investment in climate change mitigation. Afforestation, the creation of new forest, is recognised by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as one of the most cost-effective and effective ways to mitigate climate change. That is the position.