Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
92. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his views that it is still possible for Ireland to remain within the first carbon budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11041/24]
View answerThe most recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inventory figures show that Ireland's emissions fell by 1.9% between 2021 and 2022. While the EPA will not publish its inventory figures for 2023 until later this year, emissions are expected to have fallen once again. These emissions reductions demonstrate Ireland's ability to reverse emissions growth and to build momentum towards meeting our ambitious abatement objectives. However, the latest projections of Ireland's future emissions from the EPA highlight the significant challenge we will face in doing this.
Ireland has used 46.6% of its first carbon budget – which runs from 2021 to 2025 - in its first two years. This means that a 12.4% annual emissions reduction will be required from 2023 to 2025 if we are to stay within this budget.
Looking forward to our 2030 emissions reduction target of 51% by 2030, the EPA has acknowledged that if all of the currently unmodelled policies and measures in Climate Action Plan 2023 and the as yet unallocated emissions savings for the second carbon budget period (2026 to 2030) are achieved, Ireland could reduce its emissions by 42% by 2030 relative to 2018 levels.
It is clear that we must continue to build upon and accelerate delivery of our existing policies and measures, across the whole of Government and society, to meet our legally-binding targets.
