Mr. John Spink:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to give evidence this evening. The Chairman has mentioned who is present, so I will pass over that. The opening statement we sent in was very detailed so I will just give the committee an overview of it this evening.

As members will be aware, the climate action plan has set ambitious emissions reductions targets for agriculture and for LULUCF. The plan recognises that there are large scientific uncertainties associated with the measurement of agriculture and land use emissions and removals. This due to their biological nature, which means they are very variable. Land use in Ireland is a net emitter of greenhouse gases. This is due to the relatively low land area under forestry and a large area of drained peat soils. In the 2018 inventory, forests and associated harvested wood products sequestered 4.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, wetlands emitted 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent and grasslands were the largest emitter, emitting 7 million tonnes. This runs counter to the expectation of most people, who assume grassland sequesters carbon. However, while grassland on mineral soils sequestered 2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, grassland on drained peat soils emitted 9 million tonnes, giving the net figure of 7 million tonnes. The reason these soils emit so much CO2 is that peatlands form under waterlogged, low-oxygen conditions that promote low levels of decomposition, which leads to a build-up in organic matter, resulting in peaty soils having ten times the carbon storage capacity of mineral soils. Once these soils are drained, oxygen levels increase and the peat breaks down.

The emissions from LULUCF are projected to rise from 4.8 million tonnes in 2018 to 7 million tonnes in 2030. This is driven by sustained emissions from grassland on peat soils and a reduction in the forest sink due to low rates of afforestation and the large proportion of existing forests ready for clear-felling. This is situation is likely to be exacerbated when new national emission factors for forest peat soils are adopted by the EPA, increasing CO2 losses from afforested peat soils fourfold, reducing the forest sink and resulting in forestry becoming a net source of greenhouse gases by 2030.

The current carbon emissions and removals calculations are based on what are known as generic tier 1 emissions factors. Recognising this, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has funded Teagasc to establish a national agricultural soil carbon observatory, NASCO, to quantify Irish-specific emissions factors in order to reduce uncertainty around these emissions from grasslands on mineral and peat soils. This observatory is currently being deployed on approximately 30 sites across Ireland. In addition, the soil organic carbon baseline levels are currently being measured across more than 100 signpost farms.

Teagasc research, using projects such as NASCO and signpost farms, aims to improve the measurement of carbon sequestration and focuses on producing Irish-specific CO2 emission factors for drained and re-wetted peat soils; producing Irish-specific land management carbon sequestration factors for mineral and organomineral soils, which are mineral soils with higher levels of organic matter; improving the estimation of carbon sequestration in hedgerows and on farm trees and woodland; revising the carbon navigator and developing a new farm greenhouse gas calculator to estimate the impact of mitigation options on the farm greenhouse gas emissions and economic performance; and developing strategies for carbon farming.

There is considerable scope to both reduce land use emissions and enhance carbon sinks. To achieve long-term net climate neutrality, the rate of afforestation will have to increase significantly. In the short term, afforestation will only generate a small contribution towards the 2030 target but, if high rates of afforestation are achieved, this could make a large contribution to 2050 targets. Alternative management of the current forest estate provides an opportunity to maintain the forest carbon sink. Reduction in thinning rates would increase sequestration while increasing the rotation length could improve the forest greenhouse gas balance by up to 2 million tonnes. While this would ultimately result in higher yields, an alteration in rotation length would have economic impacts for the forestry sector and could lead to a short-term deficit in timber supply.

Reducing the emissions from grassland on peat soils will be imperative for land use change and forestry mitigation as this is the largest source of greenhouse gases. This will generally involve raising the water table. In addition, the input of nutrients from animals, manures and mineral fertilisers further accelerates decomposition and CO2 emissions. Research projects on these factors are currently commencing in Teagasc in addition to research on alternative uses for re-wetted areas. We are also surveying the current state of drainage on these grasslands as it may no longer be effective on some of the area, meaning that emissions may be lower than currently estimated.

The impact of grassland management on mineral soils is also being explored at the VistaMilk SFI Centre. This exploration seeks to quantify management impacts, such as the impacts of soil fertility, multispecies swards and grazing intensity, on soil carbon sequestration. These data will be used in conjunction with earth observation data from satellites and drones to model carbon balance for forest, cropland and grassland ecosystems across the country as part of a Microsoft-Science Foundation Ireland co-funded project, Terrain AI, led by Maynooth University and involving Teagasc, UCD and others.

The carbon sequestration potential of hedgerows has been investigated in Teagasc for many years with Teagasc and Forest, Environmental Research and Services, FERS, Limited completing the first analysis of national hedgerow carbon removal using light detection and ranging, LiDAR, investigating new technologies for mapping hedgerow carbon and mapping of carbon storage on the Devenish Dowth farm. Currently, Teagasc research is being carried out to improve the national estimation of hedgerow carbon sequestration in a project funded by the EPA and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, FarmCarbon. Increasing hedge width and height can substantially increase carbon sequestration both above and below ground while also providing increased biodiversity.

Improved cropland management, via straw incorporation, the use of cover crops and targeted incorporation of manures or digestate, can also contribute significantly to improved farm carbon balance. Research has also recently started in developing agroforestry for cattle to increase carbon capture by trees and mitigate emissions from cattle.

Farm Zero C is a collaboration between BiOrbic, Carbery, Teagasc and others to create an economically viable, climate-neutral dairy farm on Shinagh Farm in west Cork. The project presents a holistic approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the health and resilience of the farm. The project aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2027 and is also looking to improve biodiversity and water and air quality.

Farm Zero C and other initiatives will assist in the development of a carbon farming framework, as proposed under actions 317 and 361 of the climate action plan. This will have potential for trading and reward farmers for emissions reductions and removals, including through potential private sector investment. Measurement, reporting and verification of these actions will be imperative for farmers who wish to gain credit for their actions. This will take a concerted effort on behalf of the entire research, inventory and knowledge transfer community. The climate action plan proposes, under action 323, to establish a centre of excellence to co-ordinate and focus the research needs of the sector. In addition, Teagasc has several initiatives and projects under way to develop a new generation of greenhouse gas accounting and decision-support tools that will aid the farmer in making robust and sustainable management decisions. We are also starting a new project to explore carbon farming options.

I hope this has given the committee a good overview of previous and ongoing activities. We welcome any questions.