"The Climate Change Bill is flexible and pragmatic, and will help ensure we have a competitive and sustainable future for our economy and entire society" Mr Ciaran Cuffe, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of the Environment with responsibility for Climate Change said today. Speaking today (13 January 2011) following the introduction of the Bill to the Seanad, Minister Cuffe reiterated that the Bill was designed to ensure that our green and competitive agriculture sector continues to thrive and grow. 

"There has been a lot of misinformation in recent days on the Climate Change Bill,"  he said. "The Bill has been in careful gestation for over a year and has been the subject of detailed consultation with all Government Departments, including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food.  The need for strong Climate Change legislation  is recognised  by both  business and farming organisations."

"There has been much commentary in the public domain about the targets included in the Bill and I wish to bring clarity to this issue. The 2.5% per annum target for 2020 in the Bill is a compound annual average reduction target.  Contrary to claims which have been made, the target is not tougher than our existing EU obligations and national commitments.

"I recognise the importance of the Agri-Food business and the need to grow  exports in this area and a very important point which has been missed in much of the recent commentary is that the targets in the Bill are flexible and can be amended at any time to allow for changing circumstances should they arise," added Minister Cuffe.

The central purpose of the Bill is to put in place the legislative structures to drive Ireland*s transition to a low-carbon economy and society. The need for this transition is recognised in Food Harvest 2020, which is based on three core principles: Smart-Green-Growth.  

A key difference between the national targets included in the Bill is that targets allow for the inclusion of carbon sinks, which will be a major advantage to agriculture and forestry. EU and International carbon accounting rules do not currently allow for the inclusion of carbon sinks. Ireland is at the forefront of international negotiations to extend the measurable and verifiable accounting of sinks. The Government believes that soil carbon sequestration has a major contribution to make to climate protection. 

"I believe all the agricultural/terrestrial emissions and sequestrations need to be counted together, thereby reducing the carbon intensity of the sector and giving farmers credit for their contribution to the environment.  I am working in the international negotiations for a consistent treatment of agricultural emissions and sequestration globally" the Minister continued.

The vital connection between climate change policy and agricultural policy is a reason that the Director of Teagasc will be an automatic member of the Expert Advisory Body contained in the Bill.

"Greenhouse gas emissions from Irish agriculture have being falling in recent years while the value of exports has risen significantly. Irish beef and dairy production is predominantly grass based. As a result our produce has a lower carbon input when compared to the majority of our competitors who feed their animal on high carbon input animal feed. Food Harvest recognises this competitive advantage and advocates "certifying sustainability" to exploit this. Bord Bia is currently working with The Carbon Trust in the UK to analyse the carbon footprint of our beef production. This is a unique selling point and branding for Irish agriculture, which will ensure that Irish agricultural produce will achieve a premium when sold in international markets"

From January 2011 the environmental performance of all 32,000 farms participating in the Bord Bia Beef Quality Assurance Scheme will be tracked on an on-going basis to objectively demonstrate the green credentials of Irish beef production. Bord Bia is currently completing the process of accreditation to the internationally recognised specification Publicly Available Specification 2050, in association with The Carbon Trust in the UK

"It is my intention to put climate change legislation on the statute books that is robust, flexible and most importantly allows us to plan for the future, protect our economy and our society in the long term," concluded Minsiter Cuffe.

The main provisions of the Bill include:

Ø   to underpin a core objective on transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable society;

Ø   a short-term target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average 2.5% per year, compared to 2008 emissions, by 2020;

Ø   a medium-term target to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030 and a long-term target of 80% by 2050, both compared to 1990 emissions, both targets will serve as key milestones on the transition pathway;

Ø   a requirement for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, with the approval of the Government, to produce a National Climate Change Plan which will address both greenhouse gas mitigation, and adaptation to the inevitable impacts of global climate change;

Ø   a provision for the Government to require such Ministers as it considers appropriate to produce Sectoral Climate Change Plans to address mitigation and adaptation in their areas of responsibility;

Ø   an Annual Transition Statement will provide accountability to the Oireachtas in relation to progress towards the transition goal, the milestone targets and implementation of the National Climate Change Plan (the Annual Transition Statement will replace the current Carbon Budget process);

Ø   establishment of an Expert Advisory Body to advise Ministers and the Government in relation to functions under the Bill, including the national and sectoral planning processes, and the annual transition statement process; and

Ø   obligations to be introduction for public bodies in relation to greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation to global climate change.