Climate
• Dominant influence is the Atlantic Ocean
• Temperatures fairly uniform throughout the country
• Average annual temperature is 9°C
• Average annual rainfall is between 800 and 2,800 mm            

                                                                                                            Source: Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Food

Land Use
• 6.9m hectares in Ireland
• 4.3m hectares used for agriculture
• 3.9m hectares approximately under grassland                     

                                                                                                           Source: Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Food

Water Quality
• 71.4% of river, clarified as unpolluted
• 92% of lakes are unpolluted
• 85% fish kills due to non-agricultural   
• 36% of heavy industry populated estuaries classifed as unpolluted
• Ireland has implemented over 96% of the administrative requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD).  The EU average is 78%
• Ireland has over 75% of the initial characterisation work completed.  The EU average is 64%.        

                                                                                                         Source: EPA Water Quality in Ireland 2006 and Cork County Council
 

Air
• Agriculture represents almost all ammonia (NH₃) emissions.
• Emission of NH₃ is compliant with the National Emissions Ceiling 2010 target.
• Animal manure produces 92% of ammonia emissions in agriculture.              

                                                                                                         Source:   EPA

Climate Change and EU
• Households are responsible for 16% of EU’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• Every year each EU citizen is responsible for 11 tones of GHG emissions, mainly CO².
• Largest users and producers of GHGs in EU all energy 61% & transport 21%.
• GHG emissions from agriculture are 9%.
• Between 1990 and 2004 GHG emissions from agriculture fell by 10% in EU -15 and 14% in the EU -  25.

Climate Change and Ireland
• GHG emissions from agriculture fell by 8% over the past decade and are predicted to fall by 5% to 24% of total emissions by 2012.
• GHG emissions are predicted to increase in the industry and energy sectors up to 2012.
• Ireland’s GHG emissions in 2005 were 25.4% higher than in 1990.
• Ireland’s KYOTO target is 63m tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (mt CO² eq) each year between 2008 and 2012.
• Ireland’s GHG emissions in 2005 were 69.95 mt CO² eq

Climate Change and Global
• 150 parties including Ireland agreed to cut GHG emissions to 5% below 1990 levels in the period 2008 – 2012.
• EU undertook to cut emissions by 8%.
• USA undertook to cut emissions by 7%.
• Japan & Canada undertook to cut emissions by 6%.
• Australia is allowed to increase emissions by 8%.