Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 June 2014
85. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government following the European Commission staff report assessment that Ireland is not on course to meet the greenhouse gas emission target in non-emission trading system sectors, the action he and his Department will be taking; his plans for improved waste management to achieve Europe 2020 targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25436/14]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 78, on today’s Order Paper, which sets out the position on compliance with our greenhouse gas emissions target.
Regarding improved waste management, Ireland’s national waste policy is predicated on the waste hierarchy as set out in the Waste Framework Directive and aims to minimise the generation of waste, extract the maximum value from waste which cannot be prevented, through preparing for re-use, recycling and other recovery and virtually eliminate landfill.
The publication, in July 2012, of the national waste policy statement, A Resource Opportunity - Waste Management Policy in Ireland, delivered much needed policy certainty to the waste sector, thereby facilitating planning and investment decisions required to underpin the continued development of our recycling and energy recovery infrastructure.
Among the key measures identified to divert bio-degradable waste from landfill to recycling and other recovery, are the landfill operating guidelines, the landfill levy, the commercial and household food waste regulations and the introduction of new legislative measures later this year to encourage further prevention and segregation of household waste, including household bio-degradable waste.
Ireland’s Sixth National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (submitted to the Commission in March 2014) notes that methane emissions from waste decreased from 8.7 per cent share of total methane emissions in 1990 to 7.3 per cent share in 2011, as a result of improved management of landfill facilities, including increased recovery of landfill gas utilised for electricity generation and flaring.
Preliminary figures published by the EPA indicate that the tonnage of bio-degradable municipal waste (BMW) disposed to landfill in 2012 was 588,800 tonnes, which is below the 2013 Landfill Directive target of 610,000 tonnes.
