Ireland has joined the EU Integrated Carbon Observation System – European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ICOS-ERIC) which standardises emissions monitoring across Europe.
Minister for the Environment, Climate, and Communications, Eamon Ryan has welcomed the Government’s decision to join ICOS-ERIC.
This will enable the State to consolidate and develop high-quality scientific climate measurements, so that we can manage our greenhouse gas budgets more effectively.
The move follows close consultation with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, whose Departments and agencies will work closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in establishing and maintaining ICOS in Ireland.
ICOS consists of a network of greenhouse gas measurement sites across Europe, currently in 14 countries, with Ireland to be the fifteenth. It produces high-precision, long-term scientific greenhouse gas measurements at each site.
These climate observations help to improve our understanding of greenhouse gas emissions sources and their uptake by so-called carbon sinks in our forests, soils and seas.
The observations also give insights into the human and natural causes of both emissions and sinks, and provide the knowledge and evidence base to inform climate policy to more effectively manage our national carbon budgets.
As part of this process, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be designated as the ICOS National Focal Point to coordinate and manage Ireland’s engagement with the network.
The EPA will link activities (and related research) in Ireland with activities across the ICOS network and will contribute to the overall governance and development of the network.
Commenting on this announcement, Minister Ryan said,”It is essential that climate observations carried out in Ireland are of high quality and are comparable with data from observations being carried out across Europe and globally.”
“Membership of ICOS will enable this, as well as promoting the sharing of scientific understanding and expertise which is vital to develop our knowledge and deepen our understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. ICOS will also provide access to, and use of, international calibration standards, analysis methods, operational protocols and expert fora.”
“I have had cross-departmental support from Ministers on this proposal, which also demonstrates Ireland’s strong scientific capabilities in this area.” The Irish Government recently announced sectoral emissions ceilings to drive an overall reduction of 51pc by 2030. Much focus was directed at the agricultural sector, which has been set a target of a 25pc reduction in emissions by 2030. Taking the action needed to reach this target will be voluntary, but incentivised.