Sharon Finnegan of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated tat the association recognises the challenge facing farmers in meeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets and said that the transition needs to be managed well and fairly.

She was speaking at the Signposts general assembly and added that the Signpost programme was essential in helping farmers to reach those targets and promoting the implementation of low emissions slurry spreading, clover in grass swards, reducing crude protein levels in pig feed and many more.

In 2021, agricultural emissions increased by 3% and accounted for 37.5% of this country’s GHG emissions.

Key to this was a rise in emissions from nitrogen fertiliser and an increase in emissions as a result of liming.

Transparent

Those emissions figures are calculated by the EPA and the process follows the principles of TACCC. This means the data must be transparent, accurate, consistent, comparable and complete.

Sharon noted that the EPA has no role in setting climate reduction targets and simply provides the data. Key to compiling that inventory is receiving data from Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture and the Central Statistics Office.

She stated that the EPA strives to keep up with the latest science and methodology when compiling the national inventory of GHG emissions.

The Signposts programme is run by Teagasc and is supported by the wider agricultural industry, with over 120 farmers and 62 partners taking part in the programme.

The programme aims to measure data from those 120 farms, while implementing best practice on those farms and creating role models to other farmers.