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Ireland's greenhouse gas targets are impacted by the country's large number of cows Shutterstock

Ireland (and our cows) seem happy with a new agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions

EU leaders have agreed to cut emissions by 40 per cent on 1990 levels at a summit in Brussels overnight.

Updated 11.05am 

EU LEADERS HAVE agreed what has been hailed as the world’s most ambitious climate change targets for 2030, paving the way for a new UN-backed global treaty next year.

The 28 leaders overcame deep divisions at a summit in Brussels to reach a deal including a commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% compared to 1990 levels.

A decision on how much each member state will have to reduce their emissions to achieve that goal has been delayed until after the UN conference next year.

RTÉ reports that the Irish government made considerable progress in ensuring a special provision has been made for the agriculture and forestry industries in the final text.

Ireland’s cattle livestock accounts for a disproportionately high percentage of Ireland’s greenhouses gas emission.

Responding to the overnight agreement, Environment Minister Alan Kelly said that the previous targets were “unrealistic and unachievable” and did not take into account Ireland’s dependence on agriculture “or the fact that we have one of the most climate-friendly agricultural systems in the world”.

He said that the decision taken by EU leaders was a “sensible compromise” and added:

“This deal recognises that we have secured recognition across the EU of the importance of a sustainable agriculture and land use sector, including afforestation, as a key consideration in ensuring coherence between the EU’s food security and climate change objectives.”

enda reporters The Taoiseach speaking to reporters in Brussels yesterday European Council European Council

Speaking prior to yesterday’s meeting Taoiseach Enda Kenny told reporters that the previous deal on greenhouse gases had left a “truly catastrophic” legacy for Ireland with targets set that were unreachable in the current financial circumstances.

He said that in the current negotiations. Ireland would be ambitious about targets for reducing emissions but added: “We don’t want to be in a position where completely unreachable targets are set for us.”

EU leaders also agreed on 27% targets for renewable energy supply and efficiency gains, in spite of reservations from some member states about the cost of the measures.

The EU wanted to agree on the targets ahead of a summit in Paris in November and December 2015, where it is hoped the world will agree to a new phase of the Kyoto climate accords which run until 2020.

The agreement puts the EU “in the driving seat” ahead of the Paris conference, European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said.

Environmental groups complained that the deal did not go far enough to cut global warming. Greenpeace said the EU had “pulled the handbrake on clean energy”.

“These targets are too low, slowing down efforts to boost renewable energy and keeping Europe hooked on polluting and expensive fuel,” it said.

- with reporting from AFP

First published 9.59am

Read: Our cows are emitting so much gas that Ireland is looking for help from the EU

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    Mute Anthony Hilton
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    Aug 16th 2021, 3:40 PM

    When will people realise that the government don’t care about the people

    154
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    Mute Larsen Cib
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    Aug 16th 2021, 3:45 PM

    @Anthony Hilton: why not? Leonardo and Martin said thank you didnt they?
    Now you can store a big thank you in your fridge and pay for your transport to work.

    Just let them know that you are paying with the governments ” thank you “

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    Mute Colm OS
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    Aug 16th 2021, 4:52 PM

    Without doubt Healthcare workers deserve recognition and reward but it wasn’t just Healthcare workers who put themselves at risk. All the supermarket, pharmacy and non hse Healthcare staff (as a few examples) all took on risk which they deserve to be rewarded for

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    Mute Niamh Hughes
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    Aug 16th 2021, 11:57 PM

    @Colm OS: Dunnes stores employees got a 10% raise and a 20% discount card for their shopping. I stand to be corrected but I also think Tesco rewarded their employees too. Healthcare workers got a round of applause.

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    Mute John Fagan
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    Aug 16th 2021, 5:10 PM

    The problem with this is that if you give to one in the union, you have to give it to the lot of them. This includes managers who sat at home during the pandemic, administration staff who worked from home and people who just didn’t bother coming in because they didn’t want to catch covid. Plus the fact that every other public servant will want it. Who decides who deserves it?

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    Mute Niall Lee
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    Aug 16th 2021, 5:22 PM

    @John Fagan: every single one of them

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    Mute Garreth mc mahon
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    Aug 16th 2021, 3:51 PM

    These unions need separation from influence of government, if they are unhappy, go to LRC or labour court for each law broken if any. The days of ministers showing up at conventions also need to stop. The unions have never helped to fix the issues and it’s amazing how many pay rises fix the issues in the HSE

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Aug 16th 2021, 3:40 PM

    The demand doesn’t seem to be very clear. Are the unions looking for compensation for all workers in the health sector, front line workers or what exactly? How many staff are they seeking compensation for? The HSE employees about 70,000 alone, throw in all the voluntary hospitals, care workers…. They must be able to put a number on it.

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    Mute Derek Moean
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    Aug 16th 2021, 4:10 PM

    Leo will give them around of applause…

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    Mute Ian Breathnach
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    Aug 16th 2021, 9:01 PM

    @Derek Moean: he’ll give them a pay rise, then claim he too is a Doctor and take said pay rise himself.

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Aug 17th 2021, 12:34 PM

    TDs certainly don’t suffer hardships they’ve no problems robbing the taxpayers money to give themselves big rises

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