Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 November 2015
231. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of Ireland's position regarding European Union climate change targets; our ability to meet these targets; the possibility and likely scale of fines as a result of not meeting these targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38593/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor each year between 2013 and 2020, Ireland has a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target under the 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) No. 406/2009/EC. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20 per cent below their value in 2005, with the target for each of the years 2014 through 2019 on a straight-line trajectory between the targets for 2013 and 2020.
I am satisfied that Ireland is on course to comply with the annual mitigation targets in the first half of the 2013-2020 compliance period. However, there will be a significant compliance challenge in the years 2017-2020.
In May 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published new annual emission limits and projected emissions for 2020 which indicate that Ireland's emissions in 2020 could be in the range of 9-14% below 2005 levels. However, even in the worst case scenario (i.e., a 9% reduction), Ireland could be very close to meeting its cumulative compliance obligations for the period 2013-2020, which on average require a 12% reduction relative to 2005, given over-compliance in the early years of the 8-year period.
The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with our EU and international commitments, is well understood by Government, as reflected in the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development, published in April 2014, and in the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill 2015 , published earlier this year and which I expect to be enacted before the end of the year. The National Policy Position provides a high-level policy direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of plans to enable the State to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050. Proposed statutory authority for the plans is set out in the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development Bill 2015.
Recognising the 2020 compliance challenge, the first iteration of the National Mitigation Plan, as provided for in the Climate Bill, will place particular focus on putting the necessary measures in place to address this particular challenge in the years 2017 to 2020 but also in terms of planning ahead to ensure that appropriate policies and measures will be in place beyond this period. It is important to note that the Bill will provide for long-term successive planning in this respect.
In relation to targets beyond 2020, while Member State targets for 2030 are yet to be agreed, it is known that targets will be in the range of a 0% to 40% reduction relative to 2005, and that targets for Member States whose GDP per capita is above average should be adjusted to reflect cost effectiveness in a fair and balanced manner. A Commission proposal on this matter is expected in the second quarter of 2016.
