Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1694. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the Government intends to ratify the Paris climate change agreement; if the matter will be debated in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25720/16]
View answerOn 12 December 2015, an ambitious new legally binding, global agreement on climate change was agreed in Paris. The Paris Agreement puts in place the necessary framework for all countries to take ambitious action as well as providing for a transparency system to ensure that all countries can have confidence in each other’s efforts. The Agreement sets out a long-term goal to put the world on track to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees.
The Agreement aims to tackle 95% of global emissions through 188 Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). Ireland will contribute to the Paris Agreement via the INDC tabled by the EU on behalf of Member States which commits to 40% reduction in EU-wide emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The specific details of the contribution to be made by each Member State to this overall ambition remains to be finalised, and Ireland is currently examining proposals made by the European Commission in this regard.
Ireland is a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement and indicated its continuing commitment by signing the Agreement, along with other EU Member States, at the signing ceremony in New York on 22 April 2016. Under Article 29.5.2 of the Irish Constitution, the approval of Dáil Éireann is required for Ireland to ratify the Paris Agreement and the on-going analysis of the proposed effort sharing to be agreed for 2030 will be critical to informing this debate. Within this context, Ireland is treating the ratification process as a key priority.
