Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2023
156. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications how he views the adequacy of this country’s efforts to meet emission reduction/climate protection proposals/objectives in this country; the extent to which he remains satisfied that the efforts here are comparable to others throughout Europe and in competing market places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42077/23]
View answerThe Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015 to 2021 commit Ireland to a legally binding target of a climate neutral economy no later than 2050, and provide for a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2018 levels. Carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings were adopted in 2022, providing further structure for our emissions reduction pathway.
The latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports show that in 2022 Ireland’s emissions fell by 1.9% compared to 2021. This is to be welcomed as it shows that Ireland can reduce emissions while also supporting economic growth.
While we are moving in the right direction, the EPA’s projections of future emissions highlight the challenges we face in meeting our carbon budgets and other ambitious targets. They show that a business-as-usual approach will not suffice – additional measures will be needed to meet our targets, and the upcoming CAP24 will reflect this.
The Department of Taoiseach’s quarterly progress reports track the implementation of actions identified in the Climate Action Plan. The latest report shows an overall implementation rate of 72% in 2023. Progress has been made across six high-impact sectors from transport to industry and this is an encouraging sign that we do have the capacity to deliver the changes that are needed, and the expanded scope of CAP24 will give us the opportunity to build on this momentum.
In terms of burden sharing and emissions reduction efforts across the EU, EU Member States contribute collectively to their commitments under the Paris Agreement and Member States’ individual contributions are established under the EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). Ireland’s target under the ESR is to reduce non-ETS emissions by 42% by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
The European Commission’s Climate Action Progress Report 2023 and the European Environment Agency’s Trends and Projections in Europe Report 2023 will both be published in October. These reports will present the EU and individual Member States’ progress towards their respective climate targets and will allow us to develop a more comprehensive assessment of Ireland’s ‘efforts’ and performance, relative to our European partners.
