Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Oct 1999

Vol. 508 No. 3

Written Answers - Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

John Gormley

Ceist:

266 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his views on whether the trading of carbon permits is a fundamental part of his CO2 abatement strategy; if he has calculated the cost of this trading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18817/99]

John Gormley

Ceist:

278 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government Ireland's position on the Kyoto Protocol particularly in relation to international emissions trading, joint implementation and clean development mechanisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18836/99]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 and 278 together.

The issue of emissions trading is addressed in Ireland's CO2 abatement strategy produced in 1993. However, the Kyoto Protocol provides that flexible mechanisms – emissions trading, joint implementation and the clean development mechanism – may be used towards meeting greenhouse gas emissions commitments in the protocol. International negotiations on the rules, modalities and guidelines for the operation of these mechanisms are ongoing, with an expectation that agreement will be reached at the sixth conference of the parties to the UN framework convention on climate change in late 2000-early 2001.

Ireland's position, as part of the overall EU negotiating position, is that provisions of the protocol in relation to the flexible mechanisms require that domestic action should provide the main means of meeting emissions commitments and that a concrete ceiling on the use of the mechanisms should be defined in quantitative and qualitative terms based on equitable criteria. The adopted EU position seeks to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the effort required to meet each party's target is achieved domestically.

It is not possible to estimate at this stage the extent that Ireland will utilise the flexible mechanisms, or to calculate at what price emissions might be traded.

I refer to the reply to Question No. 64 on today's Order Paper as regards the consultation group on greenhouse gas emissions trading.