Finnegan opposition to compulsory carbon auditing for farmers
Compulsory carbon auditing
Sinn Féin MLA, Aoife Finnegan, has expressed her opposition to compulsory carbon auditing for farmers describing them as unnecessary and disproportionate.
The Newry and Armagh MLA said:
“Proposals from the Department to make carbon auditing compulsory for farmers and making them a requirement to fully access farm support payments are very concerning.
"Introducing compulsory audits, linked to reductions in support payments, goes beyond what is required in the Climate Change Act.
"Sinn Féin support voluntary carbon auditing, education and training to help farmers improve environmental sustainability, but farmers need to be encouraged and supported by the Department to achieve that - not financially penalised.
"Many farmers are already doing carbon auditing of their farms. This is welcome and more should be supported to do so.
"However, the Department is already collecting considerable data in relation to farm emissions including the monitoring of livestock numbers and schemes such as the soil nutrient health scheme.
"Proposals to make carbon auditing compulsory is unnecessary and disproportionate and would put a greater burden on smaller farmers.
"Carbon auditing remains voluntary in the rest of Ireland, and this has not prevented the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in Dublin from assessing and monitoring the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector in the south.
"Sinn Féin members of the Agriculture and Environment Committee, including myself, have raised our concerns when the draft Regulations came before the AERA Committee four weeks ago, and we will continue to do so.
"These proposals if implemented would mean farmers could face reductions of 10% to 15% in Farm Sustainability Payments for failing to complete a compulsory carbon audit.
"Essential support payments should not be withheld as a penalty for compliance, in our view that goes against the principle of Just Transition which should be to support sectors to make positive change.”