Dr. Eimear Cotter:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to come before it in order to present our work on greenhouse gas emissions. I will provide a brief introduction in respect of the EPA's work in this area and I will then refer more generally to greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland, before moving on to outlining the agency's climate-change specific vision for 2020 and the potential role of land use in this regard.

As the third slide in my PowerPoint presentation indicates, we published our strategic plan - copies of which have already been circulated to members - last year. The plan sets out the priority activities that we will undertake to deliver in the context of our mission to protect and improve the environment as a valuable asset for the people of Ireland. Within the strategy, there are nine priorities which range from developing a holistic way of managing our water right through to driving positive behavioural change at individual, business and societal levels. Two of the strategic priorities to which I refer are particularly relevant to these proceedings, the first of which relates to evidence-based decision making. In that context, we are interested in producing national greenhouse gas inventories - that is, information relating to our historical emissions - and projections for the future. The production of this data is absolutely critical. It is also a key priority for the EPA in terms of informing evidence-based decision making. The other strategic priority I wish to highlight is that which relates to maintaining a vibrant research programme. The climate change pillar of this is absolutely integral in the context of identifying climate-change specific issues within the Irish context, particularly in terms of how it is affecting the country. We also want to ensure that we can engage with the climate change debate at EU and international level.

The main sources of greenhouse gas emissions are illustrated on the doughnut chart contained in the next slide. The chart shows that 32% or our emissions come from the agriculture sector. This means that just under one third of our emissions emanate from agriculture, which makes us quite unique across the EU. Typically, emissions from agriculture across EU member states are approximately 10%. Agriculture in Ireland is, therefore, a significant source of emissions. The chart also shows that the energy sector - mainly energy generation - is responsible for 22% of our emissions. In addition, transport is responsible for 19% of our emissions. In total, agriculture, energy and transport account for just under three quarters of the country's emissions. The remainder of our emissions come from the industry and commercial, residential and waste sectors.

The next slide refers to trends in greenhouse gas emissions and shows that the profile of our emissions during the period 1990 to 2012. Again, one can see that agriculture has made a sizeable contribution - shown in green and along the middle of the chart - as has transport, the level of the emissions from which is outlined in blue. These two sectors contribute quite significantly to our emissions profile. We are of the view that emissions from both sectors will increase as we move towards 2020. In the case of the agriculture sector, this will be on the back of Food Harvest 2020 and the lifting of the milk quota in 2015. Emissions from the transport sector will increase as the economy recovers and as we begin to move ourselves and increasing numbers of goods around the country.

The next slide refers to land use, land use change and forestry. We are compiling emissions data for this sector, which is an important carbon sink. The graph shows that our land and forests absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The sink mainly comprises the forestry sector and its impact has been increasing during the past 22 years. This is because the area of land under forestry in Ireland has increased as a result of afforestation grants. As forests mature, they have a greater impact in terms of absorbing carbon dioxide. During the Kyoto period - the five years from 2008 to 2012 - the land use, land use change and forestry sector has absorbed 16 million tonnes of CO2. This represents 5% of our emissions over the period. This is a very important sector for Ireland because it provides a vital carbon sink.

Up to now I have outlined the sources of and levels of emissions in Ireland. The EPA has a climate change specific vision for 2050, the basis of which is that we will have a carbon-neutral and carbon-resilient Ireland. This will require transformation on a number of levels in the context of how we produce energy, how we use it, how we transport ourselves, how we produce food and how we manage our consumption systems. In the context of delivering on that vision, we have identified a number of goals. I will not discuss all of these but there is one in particular on which I wish to focus. I refer to the need to ensure that positive sequestration practices are recognised, promoted and sustained. What this means is that we would like to see the development of a system or framework that will bring the agriculture and the land use sectors together. At present, agriculture is very much seen as being separate to the land use sector and they tend to operate in separate silos. We would like them to be combined and accounted for together because this would recognise the inherent link between them. As a result, activities that are taking place on the land would be connected to changes within soil carbon and carbon pools. This would provide a potential way forward and it is something we would like to see happen.

I referred earlier to the land use, land use change and forestry sector. We would like the land use sector to be considered in its entirety. As it is currently accounted for and defined under international accounting rules, it is viewed in quite narrow terms and the focus is very much on the forestry sector. As stated, we would like it to be considered in its entirety and all of the potential sinks that exist to be recognised. What we are seeking is a strategic approach to the optimisation of land use in Ireland. We must examine the potential and economic benefits of recognising ecosystem services and how they might be included in mitigation costs and benefits. We must consider all of the sinks that exist in our managed land systems and assess ways in which they might be maintained and enhanced. We must also examine the accounting rules, which are currently quite narrow in scope, and ensure that they are as broad as we require. We must also ensure that we realise the full potential of our land use sectors.

The holistic approach whereby agriculture and land use would be considered together under one system would recognise that these two sectors are very closely linked. As stated, greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector are projected to increase and they already account for just under one third of our overall emissions. We are already obliged to meet demanding EU targets in this area and these are likely to become even more onerous. In that context, we have a land use sector which could possibly offer access to a very large potential sink. I refer here not only to what we are already accounting for, but also to, as EPA-funded research shows, the even larger sink that exists. In 2050, there could be a potential net sink of 9 million tonnes. Grasslands have the potential of increasing this figure even further. The sink is not captured in our current accounting model and we would like it to be broadened. We must work at international level in order to facilitate this development.

The EPA has allocated a significant level of resources in respect of these issues. In the context of our climate change research programme, I have highlighted one research project, the Irish soil information system, ISIS, to which the representatives from Teagasc will refer in greater detail during their presentation. This project shows the collaborate effort between two State agencies and it involves some extremely important research in respect of the classification of Irish soils and their properties. The investment we have made in this regard is going to give rise to a very high return. We would like resources to continue to be allocated in respect of this project into the future.

In the context of next steps, it is vital that the research be supported because it will play a critically important role in helping us to manage our resources - in this instance, our land use resource - effectively. We will be obliged to engage at international level in order to shape the accounting rules and ensure that they evolve in a manner which will be of benefit to Ireland.

It is not only an issue at international level. We must also recognise at national level that land use is one way to achieve climate change objectives. It is about more than forestry. We must consider it in a broader context. I hand over now to Dr. Jonathan Derham who will talk us through other ways to mitigate climate change with particular reference to sustainable food production.