Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

While the graph shows year-on-year fluctuations, the overall trend shows that Ireland is getting closer to its target under the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) Regulation. However, under the With Existing Measures (WEM) scenario, emissions from the LULUCF sector are projected to almost double between 2023 and 2030, with net emissions in 2030 of 7.8 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq). This 100% increase is largely due to projected forest harvesting as a result of Ireland’s ageing forest estate. This WEM scenario exceeds Ireland’s current LULUCF Regulation target (3.4 Mt CO₂eq) by 4.4 Mt CO₂eq. Under the With Additional Measures (WAM) scenario, which includes wetland rewetting, water table management on grassland with peat soils and increased afforestation rates, emissions from the LULUCF sector are projected to increase by 42.1% between 2023 and 2030, with net emissions in 2030 of 5.5 Mt CO₂eq, exceeding Ireland’s current LULUCF Regulation target by 2.1 Mt CO₂eq. Therefore, Ireland is not on track to meet its 2030 target.