IrelandIreland ’’ss targettarget reductionreduction && COCO 2 perper headhead comparedcompared toto thethe EUEU averageaverage

Source: IIEA : Energy and Policy Brief, Feb 2008 IrelandIreland ’’ss GHGGHG emissionsemissions 19901990 --20062006

Source: Ireland ’s emissions of GHG for the period 1990 -2006. EPA 2008 AccountingAccounting && ReportingReporting

 Obligatory accounting and reporting: Afforestation //deforestation since 1990 (Article 3.3).

 Optional reporting and accounting: Forest management in pre 1990 forests + cropland management + grazing land management + revegetation (Article 3.4) - not elected by Ireland.

 Ireland does not yet account for land based carbon LULUCF. SOCSOC stockstock inin IrelandIreland toto 11 m,m, 18511851 --20002000

Source: Leahy et al., 2008 TwoTwo ProngedPronged ApproachApproach toto tackletackle ClimateClimate ChangeChange ProngProng 11

 Reduce emissions  Cap and Share  www.capandshare.org  Side effect of capping fossil fuel use is that a high price for energy will be established to support investment in renewables -especially needed now due to economic downturn. ProngProng 22

StimulateStimulate the the natural natural Carbon Carbon Cycle Cycle in in and and aboveabove the the soil soil by by land land use use changes, changes, by by adoptingadopting new new agricultural agricultural practises practises and and new new technologies.technologies. CarbonCarbon Cycles Cycles and and Sinks Sinks Project Project aims aims to to drivedrive this.this. ResearchResearch based based policy policy options options to to turn turn IrelandIreland ’’ss landland intointo aa sinksink ratherrather thanthan aa source.source. AreasAreas toto bebe investigated...... investigated...... 1.1. Sustainable,Sustainable, CarbonCarbon --sequesteringsequestering BioenergyBioenergy IndustryIndustry

UtiliseUtilise BiomassBiomass andand WasteWaste waste/residueswaste/residues SustainableSustainable energyenergy crops.crops. BiomassBiomass wherewhere mostmost ofof cropcrop cancan bebe utilised.utilised. SuchSuch biomassbiomass tendstends toto bebe lignocellulosiclignocellulosic (cellulose,(cellulose, hemicellulosehemicellulose ,, lignin).lignin). TypicalTypical grasses/woodsgrasses/woods (45%(45% cellulose,cellulose, 25%25% hemicellulosehemicellulose ,, 25%25% lignin)lignin) BIOREFINING Feedstocks

CarbohydrateCarbohydrate contentcontent isis important.important. MostMost grasses/woodsgrasses/woods ~~ 70%70% carbohydratecarbohydrate CarbohydrateCarbohydrate lessless inin wastewaste feedstocksfeedstocks butbut gategate feesfees receivedreceived andand avoidsavoids landfill.landfill. UnlikeUnlike combustioncombustion schemes,schemes, moisturemoisture contentcontent upup toto 50%50% acceptable.acceptable. Miscanthus 3 Uncultivated Cultivated-Ploughed 2.5 Min Till Miscanthus 2

1.5

% Organic C 1

0.5

0 0-20 20-40 40-60 60-80 80-100 Depth cm

Source: C Byrne, 2006 Carbolea Research Group Potential Contribution to Biofuel Targets (2020)

 Ireland consumes ~196 PJ of petrol and diesel for (road) transport.  Eight technologies evaluated by Carbolea research group, UL.  With Biorefining : If all waste resources are used 10.67% of 2008 transport fuel demand could be met.  With practical levels of waste -5.0%.  To achieve 10% biofuels in 2008 after these wastes have been used would require from 1.3% of agricultural area (winter harvest miscanthus ) or 1.7% (spring harvest).  1.3% of agricultural area = 57,200 ha  Alternatively, with no wastes used, 50% biofuels would require 12.7% of the agricultural area (16.9% spring harvest).

Source: D.J. Hayes,2008 Carbolea Research Group www.carbolea.ul.ie  MaxMax outputoutput ofof PoolbegPoolbeg –– 54MW54MW electricity.electricity.  AA biorefiningbiorefining alternativealternative toto PoolbegPoolbeg couldcould provideprovide 0.76%0.76% ofof ourour transporttransport fuelfuel needsneeds oror 84m84m litreslitres ofof ethanol.ethanol.  ToTo equalequal revenuerevenue fromfrom electricityelectricity salessales –– 3030 c/lc/l ..  ReplacingReplacing PoolbegPoolbeg ,, MeathMeath andand CorkCork –– 1.11.1 --1.27%1.27% RoleRole ofof CCSNCCSN ……..

 Gather information about the feedstocks & technologies needed to develop a sustainable, carbon sequestering bioenergy industry in Ireland.

 Develop policies to incentivise this.

 Analyse the economic, environmental and social consequences of adopting the practices we suggest . 2.2. BiocharBiochar

Source: The Charcoal Vision. Laird, 2008 BenefitsBenefits ofof BiocharBiochar

The application of bio-char to soil is proposed as a novel approach to establish a significant, long- term, sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. Apart from positive effects in both reducing emissions and increasing the sequestration of greenhouse gases, the production of bio-char and its application to soil will deliver immediate benefits through improved soil fertility and increased crop production.

Lehmann et al., 2006. st 21 day CONTROL 5% of char 1% of char

Miscanthus char Miscanthus char

CONTROL Source: Carbolea Research Group, University of Limerick www.carbolea.ul.ie 10% of char 9 Latest from COP14 Poznan…..

InternationalInternational BiocharBiochar InitativeInitative (IBI)(IBI) announcesannounces Micronesia Micronesia Backing Backing for for BiocharBiochar asas CarbonCarbon MitigationMitigation andand StorageStorage StrategyStrategy atat thethe UN UN Climate Climate Meeting Meeting in in Poznan, Poznan, Poland, Poland, DecemberDecember 12,12, 2008.2008.

Source: http://www.biochar-international.org/unpoznanactivities.html CCSNCCSN aimsaims to....to....

 Gather information about the development of a Biochar industry in Ireland.  Devise systems which reward those who increase the carbon content of their land and penalize those whose land loses carbon.  The economic, environmental and social consequences of adopting these practices will be analysed .. 3.3. PeatlandsPeatlands ......

 Most efficient terrestrial ecosystems in storing carbon.  Most important long -term carbon store in the terrestrial biosphere. Sequester and store atmospheric carbon for thousands of years.  Degradation of peatlands is a major and growing source of anthropogenic emissions.

Source: Assessment on Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change. Main Report, Dec 2007 Global Environment Centre and Wetlands International. IrishIrish PeatlandPeatland

Source EstimatedEstimated annualannual PeatlandPeatland CC gasgas fluxesfluxes inin IrelandIreland

Source: Renou-Wilson, 2008. OurOur prioritiespriorities shouldshould be....be....

Restoring peatlands or capping the carbon loss from them. Cessation of turf-cutting on active peatlands (with the capacity to form peat) which are protected under the Habitats Directive since 1997, and have been designated for nature conservation. PeatlandsPeatlands

"Just like a global phase out of old, energy guzzling light bulbs or a switch to hybrid cars, protecting and restoring peatlands is perhaps another key "low hanging fruit" and among the most cost- effective options for climate change mitigation,"

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director UN Environment Programme (UNEP). WhereWhere doesdoes CCSNCCSN comecome in...in...  Gather information about the best management practices and technologies to reduce or eliminate the release of greenhouse gases from damaged peat bogs.

Develop policies to incentivise the effective protection of intact bogland ; the restoration of cut - over bogs to functioning bogland where possible, and if not possible, to investigate ways to retain their remaining organic carbon while producing and/or food crops.

Analyse the economic, environmental and social consequences of adopting the practices we suggest . AdditionalAdditional areasareas toto bebe investigatedinvestigated

 Best management practices to use to increase the carbon content of forests, hedgerows, scrub and arable and pasture land.  Best management practices and technologies to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer use and the development of policies to substantially reduce nitrous oxides and other gases from tillage land and to reward farmers for using these new practices.  Reduction of from slurry storage and looking at reducing them by adopting technologies such as anaerobic digestion to capture methane for energy and organic fertilizer.  Best ways of measuring soil carbon. StoryStory soso far...far...

 Project co -ordinator /Lead researcher hired Nov 08 (me!)  Formation of advisory panel (please email me at [email protected] if you wish to join).  Distribution of 1 st newsletter to interested parties (Dec 08).  Submission to FP7 for funding for certification scheme for biochar (Dec 08).  Preliminary research into peatland restoration (ongoing).  Website www.carboncyclesandsinks.org to go live end of Jan 09.  Kick off meeting with advisory panel & guest speakers scheduled for Feb 27 th . WANTEDWANTED !! ContactContact detailsdetails

[email protected]@ul.ie www.feasta.orgwww.feasta.org www.carboncyclesandsinks.orgwww.carboncyclesandsinks.org

ThankThank youyou