Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The full range of greenhouse gases reported under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are to be found in Irelands’ National Inventory Report. This is compiled and submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually to the UNFCCC. The latest report and the supporting information for the period 1990 to 2021 is publicly available on the EPA website (www.epa.ie). There are three tiers of methodological complexity in determining the calculations and assessments for reporting. Tier 1 is the most basic method, Tier 2 intermediate and Tier 3 most demanding in terms of complexity and data requirements.

Ireland’s national circumstances are well captured using Tier 2 methods for our major sources of methane. These are enteric fermentation and manure management associated with cattle and the methane emissions from solid waste disposal sites. The cattle herd emission estimates are based on two EPA funded research projects, and these allow for the modelling of 60 different Irish production systems.

For the other reportable activities, Tier 2 and Tier 3 methods are used for methane emissions as from 1.A.1 Energy Industries, 1.A.3.a Domestic Aviation and 1.A.3.b Road Transport, respectively. Tier 1 methods and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default emission factors are used for other methane emissions. The EPA has a rolling program to improve the Tier levels across all relevant activities.