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Environmental Policy.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2004

Thursday, 6 May 2004

Questions (192)

Eamon Ryan

Question:

192 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has adopted a position on the contraction and convergence model of response to the threat of climate change; the level of debate at a European level on this proposal; and the role the Government has taken in advancing such a debate. [13066/04]

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Written answers

Contraction and convergence is a proposal for achieving global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, promoted primarily by the London based Global Commons Institute, a non-governmental organisation. It is one of many potential models towards its stated purpose. The discussion at European level on necessary action to prevent dangerous interference with global climate systems is a more widely based one, and has been advanced during the Irish Presidency.

On 2 March 2004, the Environment Council, in preparing an input for the European Council and in reference to the development of medium and longer term emission reduction strategies, including targets, highlighted, inter alia, the need to ensure that overall global temperature increase should not exceed 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to take into account the findings of the intergovernmental panel on climate change.

The European Council on 25-26 March 2004 confirmed that it looks forward to considering such emission reduction strategies, including targets, at its spring meeting in 2005. The Commission has been invited to prepare a cost benefit analysis which takes account both of environmental and competitiveness considerations.

Consideration of options for further action after 2012, which marks the end of the first Kyoto period, underway since autumn 2002, continues to be undertaken by a working party reporting to the environment council.

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