The Government is not planting enough trees to meet its carbon reduction targets, the Climate Change Advisory Council. 

The State has set itself a target of reducing emissions by 51% by the start of the next decade; however, the EPA has forecast that a reduction of only 23% will be achieved. 

For centuries, Ireland has had one of the lowest levels of tree coverage in Europe and Climate Change Advisory Council Chair Marie Donnelly said increasing the number of trees is essential if the State is to meet its carbon targets. 

“Trees are very important from a climate perspective because they absorb the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” she explained to Newstalk Breakfast.

“So, they act as sinks and this helps us to achieve our objectives in terms of climate change, by taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and cooling the planet.” 

A forest in Omagh. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

In its Climate Action Plan 2024, the Government re-committed itself to a target of 8,000 new hectares of forestry every year. 

It is a target that Ms Donnelly noted the State had failed to reach in previous years. 

“That’s why it’s very urgent to put policies in place to increase the number of trees being planted,” she continued. 

“And deliver against the targets the Government has set.” 

A red squirrel in a forest in County Louth. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Numerous financial incentives for farmers to engage in afforestation exist - including tax free payments. 

However, Ms Donnelly described the status quo as “not working” for a number of reasons. 

“The communication [with] farmers and non-farmers who plant forests, the administrative procedures, the timelines, the uncertainties in terms of how long it will take, means that we’re just not getting the planting rate out there that we need,” she continued. 

“The target is 8,000 hectares a year; at the moment, we’re running at about 1,500. 

“So, we’re well behind.” 

Glengarriff Forest in Cork. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Ms Donnelly added that if the right policies are put in place, afforestation could end up helping the economy, as well as the planet. 

“Once the forestry is in place… we [could] end up with a situation where forests can return a very good return to the investors in terms of the quality of the goods that are produced,” she said. 

“And then subsequently used in our own economy; for example, we can be using that wood for timberfarmed construction of houses.” 

The Department of Agriculture has been contacted for comment.

Main image: An oak alley in the north of Ireland. Picture by: Alamy.com.