Ireland is committed to achieving a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, and climate neutrality by no later than 2050. These objectives are set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
In June 2022, with work on the sectoral emissions ceilings (SEC) almost complete, there were significant refinements to the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) baseline in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2022 National Inventory Report (NIR). This sector’s baseline has fluctuated over several years and significant inventory refinements are anticipated for the coming decade.
Climate Action Plan 2024 (CAP4) set out an approach for the sector that aligns with the EU LULUCF Regulation and deals with such fluctuations for this sector. This approach will set us on a pathway to achieve our goals for climate action by the setting of activity targets and annual key performance indicators, and a 2030 emissions reduction target in line with our obligation under the EU LULUCF Regulation. Ministerial responsibility for this sector has been assigned to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, coordinating with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
The approach to LULUCF has been confirmed in CAP 25 and will be subject to future reviews as the data improves. Work on unallocated savings is underway in advance of CAP 26.
