Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 3

Written Answers. - Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

John Bruton

Question:

40 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when he will produce a White Paper on global warming and Ireland's national plan to ensure that it lives within the limits set for it at the Kyoto Summit. [4915/00]

Emmet Stagg

Question:

47 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the greenhouse gas growth limitations Ireland has adopted under the Kyoto Protocol; the progress, if any, made in reaching these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5995/00]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 47 together.

Ireland's target under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit the net increase in emissions of a basket of six greenhouse gases to 13% above 1990 levels in the period 2008-12.

A number of measures are currently in place to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the transport, residential, industrial, agricultural, waste and commercial sectors. These are outlined in Ireland's second national communication under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Since the preparation of this report in July 1997, there have been a number of further policy developments which, inter alia, address climate change.

For purposes of the preparation of a national greenhouse gas abatement strategy to meet Ireland's Kyoto commitment, a consultancy study on the limitation and reduction of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland was published jointly by my Department and the Department of Public Enterprise in June 1998. This was subsequently used as a basis for public consultation and a discussion forum for interested bodies, organisations and individuals who made sub missions on the study report. Both the submissions made, and the wide-ranging discussion at the forum, were utilised in the development of a draft national greenhouse gas abatement strategy.

Last year I invited Comhar, the national sustainable development partnership, to consider and make recommendations on the draft strategy. My Department is now at an advanced stage in preparing a final draft for Government consideration as a priority, having regard to the views of Comhar, executive interdepartmental input through the green network of Departments, and other developments, including the recent Green Paper on Sustainable Energy published by the Department of Public Enterprise.

As part of overall policy development in this area, I also established a consultation group on greenhouse gas emissions trading to assess this option as it affects Irish policy formation. The group is examining the option of a domestic emissions trading market as well as the implications for Ireland of an international trading regime, and I expect to have its main report in the coming weeks.