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A new study led by University of Galway finds proposed Irish climate targets protect methane emission privileges at the expense of poorer nations' development.  The transition to a sustainable and equitable food system is being undermined by a new approach to climate target setting by livestock exporting countries such as Ireland and New Zealand, an international study by climate scientists has warned.  The study led by University of Galway in partnership with the University of Melbourne, University College Cork and Climate Resource has been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.   The scientists have called out the new “temperature neutrality”, also known as "no additional warming", which allows Ireland to maintain a high share of global agricultural methane emissions while claiming to meet its climate targets.  This approach dramatically reduces the level of ambition needed for overall greenhouse gas emission reduction. The resulting targets have been proposed to the Irish Government by the Climate Change Advisory Council, in part to reduce potential disruption from Ireland’s legal commitment to achieve national climate neutrality by 2050.  Temperature neutrality is a concept based on stabilising a country’s contribution to global warming, rather than aiming for the more ambitious, established target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions. In effect, temperature neutrality requires modest reductions in methane emissions from high-emitting countries, denying methane emission “rights” to countries with low methane emissions. As methane emissions are strongly linked with agricultural production, widespread adoption of temperature neutrality would lock-in current inequalities in the global food system, by reducing the need to curtail or offset methane emissions in current livestock exporting countries such as Ireland.   The study shows that such exports overwhelmingly go to other wealthy, food-secure countries. Meanwhile, temperature neutrality severely restricts the development space for agriculture in low-income, food-insecure countries where livestock products are most needed to improve nutrition.   Furthermore, the temperature neutrality approach underestimates the level of emissions offsetting required in livestock exporting countries, delaying the development of new markets for farmers in those countries to deliver solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises.       Lead scientist, Dr Colm Duffy, Honorary Lecturer in Agri-Sustainability, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “If every country adopted a temperature neutrality target, we’d seriously jeopardise the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, or even 2°C.  “Worse still, this approach doesn’t just weaken climate ambition, it entrenches inequality. It protects the status quo for wealthy countries while placing an unfair burden on poorer, food-insecure countries, limiting their ability to grow their own food systems.”   The international research team ran a number of scenarios to assess the impact of the policy - which has also been proposed in New Zealand - on global mean temperatures.   Apart from “business as usual”, the temperature neutrality approach performed the worst in terms of global warming emissions.   By 2050, Ireland’s per capita methane emissions would remain almost six times the global average.   Dr Duffy added: “The science shows that the new policy essentially grandfathers methane emissions - meaning a country’s future share of warming is based not on equity or ambition, but on historical share of emissions. In essence; 'I had more, so I get more'.”  Dr Róisín Moriarty, Research Fellow at the Sustainability Institute at UCC, said: "A ‘no additional warming’ approach to target setting amounts to backsliding on a country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and is not a reflection of ‘highest possible ambition'. With less than 3 years of global carbon budget remaining to limit warming to 1.5°C, with a 50% chance of achieving it, countries around the world need to do as much as they possibly can to achieve the rapid, deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed to keep within the 1.5°C temperature goal."  Professor Hannah Daly, Professor in Sustainable Energy at UCC, said: "Methane emissions are responsible for around 40 per cent of global warming to date – methane’s short lifetime in the atmosphere means that cutting its emissions is an essential lever to limit global warming to safe levels. For a country like Ireland, with outsized methane emissions, to base our long-term climate target on simply stabilising warming is inadequate to meet our global obligations and sets a dangerous precedent.”  David Styles, Associate Professor in Agri-Sustainability, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and Ryan Institute, University of Galway, said: “Ireland’s agricultural sector has huge potential to contribute towards a future climate neutral and biodiverse economy, but this requires big changes over time. Establishing a robust and internationally defendable climate target is vital to plan for a just transition, not just internationally, but for Ireland’s farmers. Temperature neutrality falls short.”   Dr Duffy is a Research Fellow on the FORESIGHT project and Honorary Lecturer in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at University of Galway. He was one of a number of signatories to an open letter that criticises a similar policy proposal in New Zealand.   The research was supported by funding from the Department of Climate Energy and the Environment for the FORESIGHT and CAPACITY climate modelling teams.  The full study can be read here: 10.1088/1748-9326/adf12d   Ends 

An tOllamh David J. Burn, Leas-Seansailéir Ionaid Dhámh na nEolaíochtaí Leighis, Ollscoil Newcastle, le tosú ar a théarma i mí Mheán Fómhair 2025. D’fhógair Ollscoil na Gaillimhe inniu gurb é an tOllamh David J. Burn an 14ú hUachtarán atá á cheapadh ar an Ollscoil le héifeacht ón 8 Meán Fómhair 2025. Tiocfaidh an tOllamh Burn i gcomharbacht ar an Ollamh Peter McHugh a raibh an post aige ar bhonn eatramhach ó Mheán Fómhair 2024. Bhí an tOllamh Burn ina Leas-Seansailéir Ionaid ar Dhámh na nEolaíochtaí Leighis, Ollscoil Newcastle ó 2017 i leith, áit a raibh sé i gceannas ar mhórthionscnaimh athruithe a bhain le hathstruchtúrú na foirne teagaisc, luas a chur faoi fheidhmíocht taighde, comhionannas, éagsúlacht agus cuimsiú a chur chun cinn agus borradh a chur faoin idirnáisiúnú. Is Ollamh le Néareolaíocht Neamhord Gluaiseachta agus Néareolaí Comhairleach Oinigh d’Iontaobhas NHS Ospidéil Newcastle upon Tyne é David chomh maith.    Tá an tOllamh Burn ina Stiúrthóir ar Chomhpháirtíocht Taighde Sláinte Newcastle, arb Ionad Acadúil Eolaíochta Sláinte í, a bhíonn ag obair chun sláinte agus folláine breis is trí mhilliún duine atá ina gcónaí in Oirthuaisceart Shasana agus i dTuaisceart Cumbria a fheabhsú. Is é an tOllamh Burn an tUachtarán tofa ar an gCumann Idirnáisiúnta Parkinson agus Neamhord Gluaiseachta chomh maith. Tosóidh David ina phost nua mar Uachtarán ar an 8 Meán Fómhair 2025, arb é an chéad lá den téarma nua é, agus na mílte mac léinn ag filleadh ar an Ollscoil don bhliain acadúil nua. Ag labhairt di faoin gceapachán, bhí an méid seo le rá ag an Dr Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Cathaoirleach Údarás na hOllscoile: “Tar éis próiseas measúnaithe a bhí dian agus iomaíoch, tá áthas orm a fhógairt go bhfuil an tOllamh David Burn ceaptha ina chéad Uachtarán eile ar Ollscoil na Gaillimhe. Tá neart taithí ag an Ollamh Burn i gceannaireacht Ollscoile agus cúraim sláinte agus tá fís láidir curtha i láthair aige chun foireann agus mic léinn Ollscoil na Gaillimhe a spreagadh le go rachaidh an Ollscoil ar leith seo ó neart go neart. Tá dea-theist ar an Ollamh Burn go hidirnáisiúnta ó thaobh ceannaireachta agus a bhfuil bainte amach aige, agus tá an taithí agus an fhís aige atá riachtanach le tabhairt faoin ról seo. Tá mé ag súil le bheith ag obair leis agus muid ag cur tús le caibidil nua in aistear na hOllscoile. “Ba mhaith liom fíorbhuíochas a chur in iúl d’Uachtarán Eatramhach na hOllscoile, an tOllamh Peter McHugh, as an gceannaireacht stuama atá léirithe aige le bliain anuas, agus guím gach rath air amach anseo.” Ag labhairt dó faoina cheapachán, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag an Ollamh David J. Burn: “Tá an-áthas orm, agus is mór an onóir dom a bheith ceaptha mar an chéad Uachtarán eile ar Ollscoil na Gaillimhe.  Bíodh is gur rugadh agus gur tógadh in Oirthuaisceart Shasana mé, tá nasc láidir pearsanta agam le hÉirinn le breis agus 35 bliain agus tá seantaithí agam ar a hoidhreacht shaibhir agus a cultúr bríomhar.  Tá mé ag súil le bheith ag obair as lámha a chéile le comhaltaí foirne agus le mic léinn chun lánacmhainneacht Ollscoil na Gaillimhe a bhaint amach, agus tá mé ar bís faoinar féidir linn a bhaint amach le chéile.” Críoch Ceisteanna ó na meáin chuig pressoffice@universityofgalway.ie 

University of Galway today announced that Professor David J. Burn has been appointed the 14th President of the University with effect from the 8th of September 2025. Professor Burn will succeed Professor Peter McHugh who has held the position on an interim basis since September 2024. Professor Burn has served as Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University since 2017, where he led transformative change initiatives to restructure faculty, accelerate research performance, advance equality, diversity and inclusion and drive internationalisation. David is also Professor of Movement Disorders Neurology and Honorary Consultant Neurologist for Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust.    Professor Burn serves as Director of an Academic Health Science Centre, the Newcastle Health Research Partnership, which works to deliver improvements to health and wellbeing for the over three million people living in the Northeast of England and North Cumbria. Professor Burn is also President-elect of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. David will take up his position as President on the first day of the new term on the 8th of September 2025, joining the many thousands of students returning for the new academic year. Speaking about the appointment, Dr Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, Chair of Údarás na hOllscoile, University of Galway’s Governing Authority, said: “Following a rigorous and competitive assessment process, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor David Burn as the next President of University of Galway. Professor Burn brings a wealth of experience in University and health care leadership and presents a compelling vision to inspire University of Galway’s staff and students to take this remarkable University to new heights. With a track record of leadership and achievement internationally, Professor Burn brings both the necessary experience and vision to this role and I look forward to working with him as we begin a new chapter in the University’s journey. “I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Interim President, Professor Peter McHugh, for his steady leadership of the University over the last year and to wish him well in his future endeavours.” Commenting on his appointment, Professor David J. Burn said: “I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed as the next President of University of Galway. Although born and bred in the Northeast of England, I have had a strong personal connection to Ireland for over 35 years and am therefore no stranger to its rich heritage and vibrant culture. I look forward to working with all staff and students to help University of Galway further realise its incredible potential and am excited about what we can achieve together.” Ends Media queries to pressoffice@universityofgalway.ie