John Gormley
Ceist:684 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will publish the figure for 1998 in relation to CO2 emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28300/98]
Written Answers. - Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:690 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will report on the progress of the plan of action to be drawn up in relation to meeting Ireland's CO2 emissions quota in 1999 and future years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28302/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 684 and 690 together.
Following the publication of the consultancy study on the "Limitation and Reduction of CO2 and other Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Ireland" and the subsequent discussion forum which was held on 28 October 1998, work on the development of a national greenhouse gas abatement strategy is now proceeding as a matter of priority.
CO2 figures for 1998 are not currently available. These are derived,inter alia, from energy flows provided by the Department of Public Enterprise, on the basis of figures not normally finalised by that Department until approximately nine months after the end of the year. The data are then converted by the Environment Protection Agency to produce CO2 emission figures in accordance with the agreed guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.