Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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183. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a response will issue to a query raised regarding carbon sequestration (details supplied). [32684/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Officials in my Department and across Government are currently working on a new Climate Action Plan which will include additional policies and measures in every sector to bring about the significant changes needed to transform Ireland to a climate neutral economy and resilient society by 2050. Furthermore, as part of commitments set out under the Programme for Government, my Department is working with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to carry out a national land use review. The review will include consideration of emissions to air and water, carbon sequestration, and climate adaptation challenges. Policy co-benefits, such as rewetting or forest regrowth to mitigate flooding risks in river catchments, will be considered.

The EU Emissions Trading System is a cornerstone of EU policy on climate change mitigation promoting cost-effective emissions reduction and is the first and largest carbon market and works on the ‘cap and trade’ principle. No such trading system exists for carbon on a private landowner scale. However, I would underline that while there is much to do in terms of policy development, as I have highlighted above, with the correct policy choices in the agriculture and land use sector, there is potential to reward farmers and land owners for sequestering carbon, restoring biodiversity, improving water and air quality, producing clean energy, and developing schemes that support results-based outcomes.

I can confirm that a response to the query has been prepared and will issue this week.