D Colm Du y & D Da id S yles
School o Biological and Chemical Sciences
Uni e si y o Galway
colm.du y@uni e si yo galway.ie
da id.s yles@uni e si yo galway.ie
11 h Sep embe 2025
To he Cle k and Membe s o he Join Oi each as Commi ee on Clima e, En i onmen and
Ene gy
Dea Commi ee Membe s,
We ecen ly led a pee - e iewed s udy, published in En i onmen al Resea ch Le e s, examining he
use o “Tempe a u e Neu ali y” (TN) o se na ional clima e a ge s, using I eland as a case s udy.
Gi en you Commi ee’s o hcoming ecommenda ion o Go e nmen on his ma e , and based
upon ex ensi e pee - e iewed e idence we ha e p oduced o e he pas se en yea s speci ically
e alua ing pa hways owa ds a clima e neu al ag icul u e and land sec o in I eland, we se ou
why we hink adop ing TN would ma k a se ious policy misdi ec ion – and could se back he
de elopmen o a i - o -pu pose na ional land use s a egy by a gene a ion.
In he accompanying b ie , we d aw upon an ex ensi e body o e idence, alongside expe ience in
he Ca bon Budge wo king g oup epo ing o he Clima e Change Ad iso y Council, and as
au ho s on he Land Use Re iew Phase 2 epo , o highligh h ee co e conce ns abou he
p ospec i e adop ion o TN, which would:
Unde mine global ood secu i y, by app op ia ing me hane “emission igh s” om ood insecu e
coun ies who despe a ely need o g ow hei own ag icul u e sec o s o mee basic needs.
Misdi ec na ional policy away om ac ion o o se I eland’s ag i- ood sec o emissions
indigenously, and de ia e om he EU ne -ze o a ge , exposing he sec o o huge epu a ional
isks, and exposing I ish ax-paye s o s agge ing compliance cos s unde EU emissions egula ions.
Squande subs an ial oppo uni ies o build CO2 nega i e bio-based indus ies ha could c ea e
new e enue o a me s and u al I eland, whils o se ing ag i- ood emissions.
The choice o I eland's clima e a ge is hugely impo an , and i will ha e las ing impac s on ou
landscape, li es and li elihoods o gene a ions o come. Gi en he ime lag be ween ac ions in he
land sec o (e.g. a o es a ion) and clima e bene i s, and slow p og ess implemen ing ac ion in he
land sec o , adop ion o TN may seem poli ically expedien o some. Bu ou esea ch shows ha i
will no s and up o in e na ional sc u iny, and di e s a en ion om c i ical clima e ac ion
associa ed wi h di e si ica ion o land use - di e si ica ion ha could suppo employmen and
hedge isks in an inc easingly unce ain wo ld.
The e a e op ions o I eland o de elop ib an ag icul u e and land sec o s ha deli e la ge
amoun s o ood whils being pa o he solu ion o ou clima e and biodi e si y c ises, bu hese
op ions equi e a ank, open-minded discussion abou eal choices acing he nex gene a ion o
a me s. This equi es poli ical hones y and leade ship on he challenges we ace. Dismissing he
scale o he challenge h ough adop ion o a lawed and weak clima e a ge se s clima e,
ag icul u e and land use policy up o ail.
I eland has long demons a ed leade ship on jus ice, human igh s, and commi men on clima e
ac ion. I ish a me s ha e long demons a ed a p agma ic abili y o adap o e ol ing ma ke and
egula o y en i onmen s. Wi h app op ia e ision and cou age om ou poli ical leade s, I eland
can d aw upon hese p oud adi ions o deli e clima e solu ions. Bu ha mus be guided by a
obus and c edible clima e a ge .
A his c i ical momen , we u ge he Commi ee o ecommend ambi ion and cla i y.
You s since ely,
D Colm Du y
School o Biological and Chemical Sciences
Uni e si y o Galway
D Da id S yles
School o Biological and Chemical Sciences
Uni e si y o Galway
