Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Given the council's policy advice role and what Professor FitzGerald has said, would the council advise the Government and the committee that one of the most urgent and immediate matters is a national land-use plan to complement or back up the national planning framework, which does not contain one? As he said, land use is one of the biggest issues. I have concerns about methane. The latest scientific research this week means that alarm bells are ringing across the world regarding methane. The latest science is scary on the release of methane from permafrost. Methane is not to be discounted in any way. Aside from the scientific issue, does the council agree with a national land-use plan, as we need to work out where the forestry we need is going to be? Forestry is one of the most significant abatement measures we may have. What is the new future for Irish farming in circumstances in which the current model is not working for the vast majority of farmers? We need to pay them properly for the land-use services they will deliver. We need a plan to protect biodiversity. As I am sure Ms Burke will acknowledge, we have a biodiversity crisis as well as a climate crisis. We need a plan to address flood management and water quality management. We have many of the tools to deal with that if we follow the water analysis. If one uses water as one's metric, it delivers many cross benefits in biodiversity, carbon storage and so on. As such, does the council agree that we need a national land-use plan?

More specifically, I ask the EPA, which is there in terms of the inventory, if it can present the committee, in written form if not in person, with its understanding of the latest IPCC analysis and trajectory, or the UNFCCC analysis? What sort of carbon abatement or storage capacity would we have if we did 10,000 ha, 15,000 ha or 20,000 ha of afforestation a year? Would different types of forestry deliver different results? I refer to continuous cover versus clear fell or mixed versus single canopy forest, which is what we need. We need that level of analysis or we are flying blind. Can the committee also be provided with a written assessment on where we are on 2020 and 2030 targets? UCC has a model but I do not agree with the fundamental assumptions it contains. Does the EPA have an emissions reduction model for the period to 2050 on the various gases for Ireland? Can we be provided with that written analysis to inform our work? While the IPCC report will not be available until August, the UNFCCC is setting rules on accounting and storage. Mr. McGovern is our representative on the UNFCCC panels. I ask that the committee be presented in writing with the latest details and analysis as to what the rules may be in regard to land use in particular, as that is the most technical, complex and important issue. I ask for the presentation of a written report to the committee as part of our ongoing analysis.