Mr. Bill Callanan:

We have included the whole principle of carbon farming in the 2021 action plan. We have set up a group to look at how we do, and how we roll out, something like carbon farming. It is a clear intention. I always mention a couple of cautions. We have to set out baselines in the first instance and then it is about how we validate because we are talking about change at individual farm level or as regards land use etc. How do we certify that? How do we encourage it financially? That may be through supports via the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, which are already there, such as incorporation of straw etc.

In the first instance, however, when it comes to where we are at, we have to be careful about a market like that. There is a group at European level looking at how a structure would be set up around that. We need to be in line with that. It is proposing to publish an overall framework on this later this year. We had a meeting with the group very recently regarding that. On the couple of points levelled by the Deputy, the group focused on land-based emissions and how to reduce them through carbon farming but it has certainly not been looking at that methane element. We are impressing on the group the need to look at methane reduction, which is just as valuable as carbon removal on the land-based side. That is something that we certainly have been highlighting. We see a value in both.

On the next step in that, to be clear, we have a significant challenge as regards land-based emissions, which the Deputy identified. We will need carbon farming initiatives to support the objective of reducing those in the main. That is the first priority. The second priority relates to the commitments we have already made in respect of the 22% to 30% range. We have identified carbon farming as an intrinsic element of that step forward in relation to it.