Vol. 558 No. 3
16 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the penalties which will be applied if the Kyoto Agreement targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are not met; and his views on whether too little has been done to meet those targets. [23904/02]
Where it is determined that a party is not in compliance with its emissions target under the Kyoto Protocol at the implementation of the commitment period 2008-2012, the following consequences will apply: a deduction of 1.3 times the amount of the excess emissions from the party's assigned amounts for the next commitment period, that is the period commencing in 2013. In essence, a party will have to make up any shortfall in meeting its Kyoto target, plus 30%, in the second commitment period: the suspension of eligibility to sell credits under emissions trading arrangements: a compliance action plan must be developed by the party, for international review and assessment, to ensure compliance within three years. Progress reports on implementation of the plan must be submitted annually.
Ireland's obligation under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit emissions of greenhouse gases to 13% above 1990 levels by the first commitment period 2008-2012. To ensure compliance with this target the Government's national climate change strategy sets out a ten year framework for achieving the necessary reductions in emissions.
Ireland, and all EU member states, ratified the protocol last May. In parallel with ratification, the first progress report on implementation of the strategy was published. Measures already under way in the first year are capable of yielding reductions up to 3.3 million tonne Mt CO2 equivalent of the 15.4 Mt CO2 equivalent annually set out in the strategy.
We must now make significant reductions in emissions to meet our Kyoto target, and I have initiated a review of the implementation of the strategy to ensure that sufficient measures are in place for this. The review is being undertaken in consultation with Comhar the national sustainable development partnership and I hope to have it finalised by next spring.
I am satisfied that full implementation of the national climate change strategy over the remainder of the decade, together with any additional measures which may be identified in the review, will ensure that we are in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol by 2012.
