Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 29 June 2021
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed).
Dr. Frank McGovern:
I do not fully get the question. My understanding is that New Zealand has a separate target for biogenic methane that would involve significant reductions to 2050, which, according to the science, would more than offset any warming effect that it may have. As I indicated, the reductions would be greater than that 3% per decade. It would, therefore, actually be taking methane out of the atmosphere in a sense by not replenishing it like that. I am not sure why it would be offset in the other sectors. The other sectors would need to reach their own climate neutrality or climate net zero pathways either in combination or separately.