Vol. 490 No. 2
211 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the report of the Dutch committee for long-term environmental policy which notes that sustainable development will be possible only if polluting emissions are reduced by 80 per cent to 90 per cent of existing levels; and his views on the point that, if this country is to have a sustainable future, the same reductions would be required. [9952/98]
I am aware of proposals, made in a number of fora, that reductions of up to 90 per cent in both resource use and emissions will be required if the carrying capacity of the earth is not to be exceeded. The need to fundamentally alter patterns of production and consumption is central to the move to more sustainable societies. In Ireland this philosophy informs Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland, published in 1997, and now being built upon. In this regard I intend that the National Environment Partnership Forum, when established shortly, will play a key role both in identifying further measures necessary to achieve sustainability and in winning broad support for necessary actions.
212 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the way in which he hopes to implement the 1997 report, Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland 1997. [9953/98]
I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No. 62 of 3 February 1998, regarding the mechanisms for implementation of Sustainable Development: A Strategy for Ireland.
