Between 13,000ha and40,000ha of forestry is needed per year

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Between 13,000ha and40,000ha of forestry is needed per year between 2025 and 2050 to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture, according to research co-funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

However, this wouldnot take methane emissions into account.

According to the EPA,the policy of carbon neutrality “is in doubt” without action in the short- tomedium-term to increase afforestation rates.

These views wereexpressed in a recent submission the EPA made in response to a government callfor expert evidence ahead of the development of the Climate Action Plan 2024.

While the forestrysector constitutes an important source of CO2 removal from the atmosphere, theenvironmental authority said that there has been “a noticeable reduction in theabsolute value of this sink removal activity, due to the current age profile ofour national forestry stock”.

The reduction in theremoval value has been driven by two factors, according to the EPA.

These factors are a“significant reduction” in the areas afforested compared to that in the 1990sand early 2000s; and secondly, significant afforestation occurring on peatsoils from which “there can be large emissions of greenhouse gases [GHGs] tothe atmosphere”.

The EPA said thatrecent research has indicated that these emissions are higher than originallyestimated.

The agency’s submissiondocument said that the current afforestation rates of about 2,000ha are “wellbelow” the planned 8,000ha foreseen annually in the 2023 Climate Action Plan.

This, combined withincreased timber harvest, will lead to further reductions in the ability ofIrish forestry to contribute to CO2 emission removals going forward, accordingto the EPA.

The submissiondocument said that it is projected that, by 2025, the forestry sector inIreland will be a source of GHG emissions to the atmosphere.

The EPA said: “The extent of forestry that is required to be consistent with Ireland meeting its national climate objective needs to be determined to allow an appropriate afforestation target to be set in the next Climate Action Plan.

“This is likely to exceed the current planned 8,000ha/annum.”The EPA said that recent research co-funded by itself and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine “indicated that between 13,000ha and 40,000ha per annum of afforestation would be needed from 2025 and 2050 to offset projected CO2 and N2O emissions, but not methane emissions, from the agriculture sector”.

Afforestation rates at the lower end of those estimates take into account other actions, including a 75% reduction in agricultural emissions and a “substantial rewettingprogramme” of agricultural organic soils.

Read the full article at: https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/epa-between-13000ha-and-40000ha-of-forestry-per-year-needed/.

Contac us at: www.euroforestireland.ie

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