An Analysis of Abatement Potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030
Year: 2018
Type: report
Abstract: This is the second iteration of the Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (GHG MACC) for Irish Agriculture to be published by Teagasc.This GHG MACC quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases, as well as the associated costs/benefits and visualises the abatement potential of GHG mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures. As such, the GHG MACC may be of use for guidance in the development of policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the non-ETS sectors.These are the sectors not subject to the Emissions Trading Scheme and, as such, fall under national competency (agriculture, waste, residential and transport sectors). This report has been prepared by the Teagasc Working Group on GHG Emissions, which brings together and integrates the extensive and diverse range of organisational expertise on agricultural greenhouse gases.The previous Teagasc GHG MACC was published in 2012 in response to both the EU Climate and Energy Package and related Effort Sharing Decision and in the context of the establishment of the Food Harvest 2020 production targets. Since publication of this previous GHG MACC analysis and the subsequent C neutrality report, the context of discussions on agriculture and greenhouse gas emissions has continued to evolve.Specifically, we have witnessed the following three developments:1.The revised European Union Climate and Energy Framework and subsequent Effort Sharing Proposals (COM/2016/482) have changed the European policy environment on approaches to mitigating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.Ireland has been proposed to reduce emissions by 30% relative to a baseline year of 2005, during the period 2021 to 2030.In addition, the inclusion of carbon sequestration in the flexible mechanisms that can be used to achieve national targets mean that there is a wider suite of measures from which to achieve the required reductions.2. At national level, the FoodWise 2025 Strategy has built on targets set in Food Harvest 2020.3. Science and knowledge transfer activities in relation to agricultural greenhouse gas emissions have continued to evolve and are delivering further opportunities for a low-carbon agricultural sector.In addition, there have been advances in terms of beef genetics and manure management technologies over the last five years. In this current GHG MACC report, Teagasc quantifies the abatement potential of a range of mitigation measures, as well as their associated costs/benefits.The objective of this analysis is to provide clarity on the extent of GHG abatement that can realistically be delivered through cost-effective agricultural mitigation measures, as well as clarity on which mitigation measures are likely to be cost-prohibitive. The analysis in this report was conducted in the context of FoodWise 2025, an industry-led initiative that sets out a strategy for the medium-term development of v the agri-food sector.The increase in agricultural output envisaged in FoodWise will provide a significant challenge to meeting emissions targets, particularly as agriculture comprises one-third of national emissions and 44% of the non-Emission Trading Sectors (non-ETS). The study assesses the additional potential for GHG abatement, C sequestration and the potential for the sector to displace fossil fuel consumption up to 2030, using a Baseline Scenario, generated by the FAPRI model, which projects agricultural activity to 2030.The mitigation identified in the GHG MACC then allows an assessment of the potential distance to any future sector specific GHG emission reduction target. This is not an exhaustive analysis of all GHG mitigation measures, but represents an assessment of best available techniques, based on scientific, peer-reviewed research carried out by Teagasc and associated national and international research partners. It is important to note that a MACC cannot be static, or definitive: the potential for GHG abatement, as well as the associated costs/benefits are likely to change over time as ongoing research programmes deliver new mitigation measures, or as socioeconomic or agronomic conditions evolve.Therefore, the GHG MACC presented in this report should be interpreted as an addition to the previous analysis, that will in due course, be subject to further revisions as both scientific knowledge and socioeconomic conditions evolve.t tonne (1000 kg) UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Source: T-Stór (Teagasc)
Language: English
Subfield: Economics and Econometrics
Domain: Social Sciences
SDGs: Climate action, Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3165567088