Vol. 528 No. 1
9 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will clarify the Government's presentation at the recent environmental climate change conference in The Hague; the progress made on establishing a proper system of emissions trading in greenhouse gases; and if he has unilateral proposals in view of the lack of agreement to proceed with the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions here. [29212/00
The 6th Conference of the Parties, COP6, to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in The Hague from 13 to 25 November. While Ireland was represented at the full session, I attended from Sunday, 19 November to the final day, including the full ministerial segment of the conference.
The Irish position was developed as part of the overall EU negotiating position with the primary aims of ensuring that the environmental integrity of the Kyoto Protocol was maintained enabling sufficient parties to ratify it so that it could enter into force by "Rio+10", the 10th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit. I worked with my EU ministerial colleagues towards these ends in a ser ies of discussions and negotiations with Ministers and other Government representatives from all over the world.
The rules, modalities and guidelines for the operation of the flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol, including international emissions trading, were on the agenda, and significant progress was made in regard to many issues related to these. Final agreement was not reached on the flexible mechanisms, as the COP failed to reach overall political agreement on a number of issues, including, first, specifying how the requirement for emissions trading to be supplemental to domestic action should be provided for; second, whether and how additional categories of carbon sinks might be included for the purposes of parties meeting their Kyoto obligations; third, the overall compliance obligations to apply; and, fourth, the arrangements, including financial assistance, for supporting developing countries in addressing climate change.
I am confident that with ongoing discussion, COP, on its resumption next May, will take the necessary decisions to meet the EU requirements as I have outlined them. Accordingly, the Government is proceeding with the implementation of the national climate change strategy to reduce current levels of emissions and meet our 13% limitation target under the Kyoto Protocol.
Does the Minister accept that Ireland, having obtained the fourth most generous Kyoto Protocol concession in the world, is one of the most serious overshoots in that we are already 20% over the 13% threshold and heading for 40% by the year 2010? Will the Minister indicate when an emissions trading system will be in place in Europe? Is he satisfied that other Departments, such as the Department of Public Enterprise in relation to electricity generation, have bought into the Government strategy when it is not the case that combined heat and power plants, say, under 25 megawatts can be set up for small industrial units? There is no system of green credits being put in place for electricity suppliers as is the case in the United Kingdom. Does the Minister have any proposals in relation to his own area to alter VRT for cars with low or no emissions?
The Deputy is incorrect when he says that we have the fourth most generous limitations level in the world. A significant number of signatories to the Kyoto Protocol have no limitations whatsoever. We have the fourth most generous limitation within the EU bubble, which is an entirely different matter.
In relation to the figures we have, the Deputy will be aware that the national climate change strategy was published prior to the conference in The Hague, COP6. In that strategy there was a clearly laid out Government policy statement, not a Department of the Environment and Local Government statement, in which all Departments committed themselves to a variety of targets to reduce the levels of emissions so that we comply with the 13% plus limitation imposed on us.
In relation to the emissions trading, no agreement was finalised on the flexible mechanisms. At the same time as the national climate change strategy we published a document of our own on emissions trading. We intend to fully participate in an emissions trading programme within the EU initially and post 2008 internationally, which was the timescale envisaged at Kyoto. We will be fully involved in the emissions trading regime at that stage and we will be part of the international emissions trading programme when it comes into place but it cannot come into place until the Kyoto Protocol is ratified by the required number of states. That means COP6 resuming and, hopefully, a resolution found in COP6.
Will the Minister clarify the position in relation to Moneypoint, the largest carbon emissions plant in the country? Is it to close or is it to convert to natural gas?
It will play a major role in the national climate change strategy. It was clearly laid out in that strategy that the closure or conversion of Moneypoint would make the largest single contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Government has declared its intention in the national climate change strategy to ensure that measures to address the energy supplies sector will be supportive of the ceasing of coal firing at Moneypoint by 2008. The options in relation to Moneypoint post 2008 are a matter for the ESB but the key change that could be made is a change to gas fired by 2008.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
