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Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2020

Tuesday, 20 October 2020

Questions (140)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

140. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if he will adopt at the European Council the position of Irish MEPs and that of the European Parliament on the EU climate law, which sets an ambition of at least a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030; if he will support the European Parliament’s position; and the implications that has on the Programme for Government’s ambition of 51% emissions reduction by 2030. [31125/20]

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Written answers

The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050. This objective is at the heart of the European Green Deal and in line with the EU’s commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement. The European Commission has just presented its plan to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This level of ambition for the next decade will put the EU on a balanced pathway to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. It is intended that both the 2030 and 2050 targets will be enshrined in the EU Climate Law. Parliament and Council have been invited to confirm this 55% 2030 target as the EU's new Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and to submit this to the UNFCCC by the end of this year. Legislative proposals to implement the new EU 2030 target will be presented by June 2021, and additional effort will be asked of all Member States, including Ireland.

Ireland fully supports the enhanced ambition at EU level to increase the EU 2030 target to at least 55% emissions reduction as set out in the Commission’s EU 2030 Climate Target Plan, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To this end, Ireland is one of 12 countries who have signed a joint statement ahead of the European Council in October on strengthening EU climate ambition and agreeing on increasing the 2030 climate target to “at least 55 percent” this year.

The Programme for Government sets out significant increased climate ambition for Ireland, committing to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 and to achieving net zero to emissions by 2050, the latter being consistent with the EU 2050 ambition. The next iteration of the Climate Action Plan will set out, on an economy-wide basis, how the 2030 ambition in the Programme for Government might be achieved. A subset of that Plan will ultimately deal with Ireland’s contribution to the EU 2030 target and any increased ambition in a revised Effort Sharing Regulation, the framework which sets Member States’ emissions reduction targets for 2030.

In addition, the purpose of the Climate Action (Amendment) Bill which is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny is to strengthen the governance structure in supporting Ireland's response to climate breakdown. The Bill will:

- Set the 2050 decarbonisation target in law.

- Provide for the adoption of five-year carbon budgets, setting maximum emissions by sector.

- Strengthen the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council, including in relation to proposing appropriate carbon budgets.

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