Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Róisín Shortall

Question:

94 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the progress made to date with regard to meeting obligations under the Kyoto agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26697/01]

The national climate change strategy, which was published in November 2000 and is available in the Oireachtas Library, sets a ten-year framework for achieving the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions to ensure that Ireland complies with the Kyoto protocol. The strategy identifies a range of cross-sectoral and sector-specific measures to achieve the necessary reductions equitably and with economic and environmental efficiency.

Implementation of the strategy is being co-ordinated by a cross-departmental climate change team which is chaired by my Department and has met on 12 occasions since January 2001. In addition to overseeing the successful implementation of the strategy, the team has established necessary consultative arrangements and will develop a robust and comprehensive set of indicators at a sectoral and national level, oversee the quantification of costs and benefits of implementing specific measures, and undertake the biennial review of the strategy, beginning in 2002, in consultation with Comhar.
Work is under way on the development of a long-term communications strategy addressing awareness of climate change, and Comhar has prepared proposals for this; sub-groups on inventory data, emissions trading, negotiated agreements with industry, and economic analysis have also been established.
Substantial measures identified in the strategy for their potential to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions limitation are under way at a sectoral level. They include a new renewable energy competition announced on 25 May 2001, and the granting of full market access to electricity from combined heat and power. Two new gas fired electricity generating plants will also be in place by 2002 using the most carbon efficient fuel which will be twice as efficient as existing plants. Substantial investment in public transport in the NDP will reduce reliance on the private car, especially in Dublin.
Necessary changes to the building regulations to reduce energy requirements have been accelerated to ensure full implementation well ahead of the 2005 date in the strategy. On 27 September the Minister for the Environment and Local Government announced the publication of consultation documents on the proposed amendment of Part L of the building regulations relating to conservation of fuel and energy. The radical upgrading of the thermal performance and insulation standards for new houses will have effect from 1 July 2002 and will result in a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide of more than 300,000 tonnes per annum by 2012.
While emissions of greenhouse gases are currently over 20% above 1990 levels, and on a business as usual basis with continuing economic growth are projected to rise by up to 37% above 1990 levels by 2010, the national climate change strategy is specifically designed to make the necessary reductions to move away from these business as usual projections over the coming decade. Sectoral measures included in the strategy are intended to reduce emissions by over 15 million tonnes CO2 equivalent per annum. During the commitment period 2008 to 2012 this will ensure that our target is met effectively and on time.
Question No. 95 answered with Question No. 85.
Top
Share