Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Pitfalls of Adopting Temperature Neutrality as a Climate Target

This record contains the formal submission from Dr Colm Duffy and Dr David Styles (University of Galway) to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy, dated 11 September 2025.

The submission outlines scientific and ethical concerns regarding the adoption of Temperature Neutrality as a national climate target for Ireland. Drawing on seven years of peer-reviewed research, including modelling for Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council and EPA, it argues that Temperature Neutrality would:

• Undermine global food security by appropriating methane “emission rights” from food-insecure countries;
• Misdirect national climate policy away from CO₂-negative solutions and expose taxpayers to EU compliance costs;
• Delay essential land-use diversification and the development of bio-based industries.

The materials are provided in the public interest to support transparent, evidence-based policymaking in Ireland’s climate and land-use sectors.