Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 February 2013
258. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on progress being made in relation to Ireland's greenhouse gas mitigation target for 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7972/13]
View answerBased on current projections issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland faces a potential challenge to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by some 20 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent ( Mt CO2 e) over the period 2013-2020 in order to comply with the legally binding requirements of EU Decision 406/2009/EC. In addressing compliance with the Decision, Ireland must follow an emissions reduction trajectory over the eight-year period and achieve an overall 20% reduction in relevant emissions by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. I am satisfied that Ireland is on course to comply with the mitigation trajectory in the first half of the compliance period and I will review progress in terms of meeting the compliance challenge in the years 2017-2020 in light of, inter alia, the updated projections which I expect the Agency to issue in the coming weeks and ongoing policy development taking account of the final climate policy analysis report from the NESC Secretariat which I will be releasing shortly.
