Warning over tree-planting target
Ireland must expand its forests if it is to tackle carbon emissions, experts say
An area almost the size of Longford needs to be planted with trees between now and 2020 to counteract Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, a new report has evealed.
Experts said the country needs 100,000 hectares of forest over the next 10 years to reduce carbon dioxide levels quickly enough to meet the strict EU rules.
But, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demands to cut pollution under Kyoto agreement will be met next year.
Dr Mary Kelly, EPA director-general, said major challenges remain to meet the next step in cutting emissions. "The projections released today reflect the effects of the economic downturn, and the anticipated recovery," she said.
Experts said the biggest offenders were agriculture, energy and transport.
Dr Kelly added: "The clear message is that major challenges still exist in achieving real reductions in greenhouse gases which should not be underestimated. Failure to deliver on the measures outlined in Government policies will result in higher emissions than predicted."
The EPA's latest assessment on greenhouse gas emissions warned it is still not known where one fifth of the expected falls in 2015 and more than one third of the drop in 2020 will come from.
It said in the worst case there will only by a 6% fall in C02 emissions between now and 2020 while the most ambitious is 15%.
Kyoto limits Ireland's emissions to an average 62.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year up to 2012 with the use of expensive carbon credit trading going some way to ease pressure on emissions.
Dr Ken Macken, from the EPA's climate change unit, said by 2012 forests had to expand by about 10,000 hectares a year to create big enough carbon sinks. "It's not huge but it will make a difference," he said. "A lot of countries that have a lot of forest don't have a lot of scope for doing a lot. Ireland does not have a lot of forest so it doesn't have that problem."
Press Association
