A carbon reduction target of 27 or 28 per cent is expected to be agreed this week by Eamon Ryan, the Green Party leader, and Charlie McConalogue, the agriculture minister, according to government sources. The compromise would be closer to upper end of the 22 to 30 per cent range that was set for the agricultural sector in the climate action plan last year.
Government sources say McConalogue is still resisting pressure to accept the 30 per cent reduction target, amid fears that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael backbenchers could join the farmers’ lobby group and opposition parties in resisting it.
There are even concerns that one or two government backbench TDs could resign their party whips in protest at a high emissions reduction target
