Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
427. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport the action he plans to take in order to achieve the target of 51% given that the Climate Action Plan 2019 sets out emission reduction targets of 35% from transport which is seen as very challenging and totally reliant on hitting an electric vehicle target of 1 million by 2030 which has now been set to be achieved within that timeframe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20298/21]
View answer428. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Transport his plans to have the reduction of 51% in the use of private cars given the target is now set for a 51% reduction in transport and it has been established that private cars account for 75% of all journeys and 79% of all journeys by private cars are made outside of Dublin in which there is little or poor public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20299/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 428 together.
To help tackle our climate challenge, I am strongly committed to achieving substantial carbon abatement within the transport sector. Accounting for a little over one fifth of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions, there can be no question, but that transport must feature strongly in contributing towards the national decarbonisation effort.
The Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2019 recognised that Ireland must expand and accelerate its policies to tackle climate disruption and, noting the role that transport must play, committed to 45-50% emissions reduction in the sector by 2030 (relative to pre-NDP projections). To achieve this level of reduction ambitious targets were set such as almost one million electric vehicles (EVs) on Irish roads by 2030. In light of the Programme for Government commitment to achieve a 7% average annual emissions reduction it is now evident that actions under CAP 2019 alone will not be sufficient to meet the Government's increased ambition. Therefore, work is underway to develop a CAP 2021. My Department is currently engaging in analytical and modelling work to help determine the nature and scale of measures required to achieve the step-up in emissions reduction.
Preliminary findings suggest that a focus on greater EV market penetration and increased biofuel blending will remain as key elements of the transport emission reduction strategy given their strong mitigation potential. The initial analysis also suggests that reducing transport demand and moving more trips to sustainable means will also be required. I will continue to ensure that we invest in increasing capacity and improving access and quality across the wide range of sustainable mobility options. I am also considering ways to better manage the demand for transport. In fact, my Department recently published Phase 1 of the Five Cities Demand Management Study which considers different measures to promote modal shift and constrain private car demand. I am also keen to build on some of the positive large-scale changes we have seen in travel patterns over the past year under public health restrictions, through embedding a greater shift towards more sustainable mobility and supporting practices that reduce the need for travel.
When finalised the CAP 2021 will chart a course to reduce transport greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with our Programme for Government commitment. This will advance us toward the ultimate goal of a zero-emission mobility system by 2050. In the interim, ongoing work to reduce emissions continues apace even as we prepare the next CAP. The Deputy will have seen the recent publication of interim actions that we are committed to implementing while CAP 2021 is being developed ensuring continued momentum of our emissions reduction effort across the transport sector.
