Carbon Removal in Ireland – National Policy Overview

Carbon Removal Policy in Ireland

An overview of CDR estimates for Ireland. For a full look at the sources for these calculations, see here

Explore Ireland's CDR contributions

Ireland's policy progress

Target Year

2050

Target Type

Climate neutral

Separate target for emission reduction and removals:

Yes

GHG emissions:

59 MtCO₂e

Target Status

In law

CDR Target:

26.8 MtCO2eq in the LULUCF sector between 2021 and 2030 [in policy documents]

Annual Removals:

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Last updated: 16 Oct 2025

Net zero target

2050

First interim target

2030

Type of interim target

Emissions reduction target

GHGs covered

Carbon dioxide and other GHGs

Separate target for emission reduction and removals:

Yes

Historical emissions:

No

Annual reporting mechanism:

Less than annual reporting

In a Nutshell

Ireland is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 as per the ‘Climate Law’ (Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021). It aims to balance emissions with GHG removal, particularly focusing on the agricultural and forestry sectors for carbon dioxide removal.
Legal frameworks supporting these commitments include annual updates to the Climate Action Plan and sectoral emissions ceilings. However, current regulations restrict carbon storage in geological formations and international transport of CO₂, limiting the potential for BECCS and DACCS projects.
Support for R&D and Innovation is substantial, with key initiatives like the 2050 Sustainability Accelerator and blue carbon projects like ‘BlueC’ and ‘Quest’. Work is also underway on soil carbon sequestration and the carbon sequestration potential of peatlands.
The Irish Government is working on national policies to promote the development of carbon farming activities.

Role for carbon removal in national climate policy

Ireland set the legally binding target of achieving net zero emissions no later than 2050 through the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 also referred to as the ‘Climate Law’. To achieve this target, emissions will have to be balanced or exceeded by the removal of GHGs.

This target is further set out in the Long-term Strategy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions, which outlines indicative pathways, post-2030, towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The Strategy also calls for the creation of a negative emissions strategy. The climate-neutral pathway envisages that further measures will be required to offset residual emissions with negative emissions, particularly for the agricultural sector, for which it states it will be impossible to completely eliminate all emissions. However, it is noted that this sector, along with forestry, has a unique capacity to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Ireland seeks to increase removals in the land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector through initiatives such as afforestation, promotion of forest management initiatives, improved management of grasslands on mineral soils and peatland restoration. Carbon farming is also central to Ireland’s climate strategy and the proposed Carbon Farming Framework has entered its second consultation phase.

Forestry in Ireland is now reported as a source of emissions, rather than a sink, primarily due to the revision of the emission factor to a higher value for forestry on peaty or organic soils which drives higher rates of carbon loss. The state-owned commercial forestry business outlines in its Coillte’s Strategic Vision that it will capture additional carbon dioxide in its forests, soils and wood products by 2050.

All of these conventional CDR methods are intended to contribute to the annual negative emissions budget that will be required by 2050. While the targets set out the plan for net removals by 2050, measures outlined to grow carbon sinks are targeted at reducing the amount of net emissions increases in the LULUCF sector, rather than aiming for removals.

Ireland is also exploring blue carbon strategies. Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured by the oceans and coastal ecosystems, primarily vegetated coastal systems like tidal wetlands, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests, where applicable.

Ireland’s National Hydrogen Strategy mentions the production of hydrogen using BECCS. Engineered removals are not mentioned in Ireland’s climate policy, although the need for a national CCS strategy has been mentioned in the last two climate action plans. Feasibility studies outlined as part of the Climate Action Plan 2019 have been undertaken to assess the national potential for CCS, including BECCS. Furthermore, the 2024 Climate Action Plan identified an emission gap 26 MtCO2eq for the period of 2026-2030 to reach the period’s climate target. CCS and CDR are being considered as solutions to this problem, and recommendations on the issue are expected in 2025.

Relevant legal frameworks

The 2021 Climate Law is supported by annual updates to the Climate Action Plan 2019, of which the latest is the Climate Action Plan 2025. These plans set out the policies, measures and actions to meet the 5-year carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings, which provide the pathway to meeting Ireland’s climate targets. There are currently no national removals targets in Ireland.

At present, CO₂ storage in geological formations is illegal in Ireland, and the country has yet to ratify an amendment to the London Protocol, which would allow the international transport of CO₂. This restriction limits the country’s ability to implement BECCS and DACCS projects – barriers that would need to be addressed if Ireland were to deploy these technologies.

Support for R&D and Innovation

Key R&D initiatives in Ireland include the 2050 Sustainability Accelerator supported by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The Department has a programme stream focusing on accelerating carbon dioxide removal solutions, such as enhanced weathering (EW).

Two research projects supported by the Environmental Protection Agency, ‘BlueC’ and ‘Quest’, are aimed at understanding and leveraging Ireland’s blue carbon potential. Technological innovation will be driven by Ireland’s Technology Centres and Technology Gateways and will target areas like heat pump technology, carbon capture and storage, and the bioeconomy.

On the horizon

As announced during the European Carbon Farming Summit, the Irish Government is working on a Carbon Farming Framework to promote the development of carbon farming activities in Ireland. The policy is currently in its second consultation phase.

The mid-term review of the Forestry Programme 2023-2027 is expected this year while a research and monitoring programme of GHG fluxes on wetlands will be established to further understand how peatland restoration measures will foster carbon sequestration.

Lastly, the recommendations concerning the abatement or removal of 26MtCO2eq during the 2026-2030 period are expected this year, while a CCUS Task Force is currently developing a workplan to progress the development of an Irish regulatory framework for industrial carbon management.

Carbon Removal Policy in Ireland

In a Nutshell

Role for carbon removal in national climate policy

Relevant legal frameworks

Support for R&D and Innovation

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