Epa Report Highlights Need for Urgent Action on Farm Scale Renewables

James Murphy, IFA Renewables Project Team Chairman has called on Climate and Energy Minister Denis Naughten to urgently progress plans to introduce supports for farm scale and community renewable projects, as emissions from transport and energy continue to spiral out of control.

Speaking following today’s launch by the EPA of national greenhouse gas figures, he said, “Climate gases from agriculture have reduced by 5.5% since 1990, with emissions from transport increasing by 130% over the same time period. This is not a reason for inaction in agriculture; farming can do more particularly in bioenergy and farm scale and community based renewables.”

“To achieve this Minister Naughten must immediately put in place the long-awaited National Energy Forum to develop a coherent policy framework.

“More importantly, this must be supported with meaningful tariff supports for farm scale and community based energy production,” James Murphy concluded.