Toaiseach Enda Kenny has reiterated his government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions - in tandem with Ireland’s EU partnersby - by at least 40 per cent by 2030. He claimed that meeting international targets would be particularly difficult for Ireland because of the ‘lost decade’ of the recession.

Speaking at the UN conference on climate change in Paris last night he said it was the country's  objective to substantially cut CO2 emissions by the middle of this century, “while developing an approach towards carbon neutrality in the land sector that does not compromise our capacity for food production.

“One really significant area for Ireland is our valuable and already efficient agriculture sector,” he said. ‘Through a series of programmes, like carbon foot-printing 43,500 beef farms and 18,000 dairy farms, we are driving economic and environmental efficiency in agriculture and achieving results that we believe are both transferable and scalable.”

He said that Ireland recognises how vulnerable communities need considerable assistance in adapting to climate change.

“Despite recent difficult economic circumstances, Ireland provided public climate finance of €34 million in 2014, including support for the Least Developed Countries Fund.

“These funds support adaptation in agriculture, food and energy systems, and help to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable households, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa."

Source: www.businessworld.ie