Vol. 499 No. 2
48 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his estimate of Ireland's likely performance in 1999 in relation to its CO2 quota as defined in the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28304/98]
58 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his role to date in ensuring that Ireland achieves the greenhouse gas reduction targets supported by him at Kyoto; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2068/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 and 58 together.
Ireland's current commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change relate to the period up to the end of the current decade. Within the context of EU climate change policy, Ireland's CO2 abatement strategy is based on the objective of limiting the increase in CO2 emissions to 20 per cent above 1990 levels by 2000. Ireland's second national communication under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, July 1997, set out policies and measures adopted towards meeting this objective, and the response to Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, on Thursday 19 November 1998 provided examples of additional measures adopted since the publication of the national communication. A copy of the national communication is in the Oireachtas Library.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, Ireland's target is to limit the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases to 13 per cent above 1990 levels in the period 2008-12. I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 684 and 690 on Wednesday 27 January 1999, in relation to the development of the national greenhouse gas abatement strategy to meet our Kyoto commitments and in regard to CO2 emissions data for 1999.
