Climate efficiency:

new opportunities for agriculture

The journey of Irish agriculture

Rogier Schulte, Lilian O’Sullivan, Cait Coyle, Niall Farrelly, Carsten

Gutzler, Gary Lanigan, Gemma Torres-Sallan, Rachel E. Creamer

Agriculture: part of the problem = part of the solution

The start of the journey

Science Policy MRV

Agricultural GHG Task Force

Nutrient efficiency

Crop science

Animal science

Forestry Soil science

Economics Behavioural modelling

NPK

Advisory services

GHG Working Group

Marketing

The start of the journey

A marginal abatement cost curve for agriculture

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Min

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Bio

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Bio

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Eth

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Eth

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Min

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Bio

mass (

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Bio

mass (

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Eth

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Eth

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The Carbon Navigator

How can I practically reduce

emissions from my farm?

How do I compare to my neighbour?

Is this going to cost

money ?

The Carbon Navigator

Efficiency reduces the carbon footprint…

Efficiency reduces the carbon footprint… but not

necessarily absolute emissions…

A marginal abatement cost curve for agriculture

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Anim

al husbandry

N -

managm

ent

Min

imum

tilla

ge

Bio

mass (

heat)

Bio

mass (

ele

ctr

ics)

Oil s

eed r

ape

Eth

anol (w

heat)

Eth

anol (b

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Cover

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N -

inhib

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CH4 N2O

CO2

CO2

CO2

NH3

NO3

Bringing land management into the equation…

Bringing land management into the equation…

Table: Proposed Targets and Access to new flexibilities

2030 target

compared to 2005

Maximum annual flexibility

(as a % of 2005 emissions)

One-off flexibility from

Emissions Trading System to

Effort Sharing Regulation

Flexibility from land use sector to

Effort Sharing Regulation*

SE -40% 2% 1.1%

DK -39% 2% 4.0%

FI -39% 2% 1.3%

DE -38% 0.5%

FR -37% 1.5%

UK -37% 0.4%

NL -36% 2% 1.1%

AT -36% 2% 0.4%

BE -35% 2% 0.5%

IT -33% 0.3%

IE -30% 4% 5.6%

ES -26% 1.3%

PT -17% 1.0%

EE -13% 1.7%

LT -9% 5.0%

PL -7% 1.2%

HU -7% 0.5%

LV -6% 3.8%

RO -2% 1.7%

BG 0% 1.5%

Bringing land management into the equation…

b

Estimated emissions (t CO2e ha-1 yr-1)

Bringing land management into the equation…

a

-2.4

+2.9 Z-score

c

Peat soils

Carbon hotspots

Emission sensitive soils

Soils suitable for forestry

Bringing land management into the equation…

Bringing land management into the equation…

Main carbon stores: incentivise maintenance

Plug carbon hotspots: selective

remediation

Areas most suitable for new afforestation

Optimise productivity (correct nutrient imbalances)

Emission sensitive soils: reward non-drainage

Potential unsaturated long-term storage?

Lessons learnt…

Money talks

@RogierSchulte