Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2018
634. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which each sector in the economy can contribute to greenhouse gas reduction over the next five years without negatively impacting on economic output; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37864/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development sets out an ambitious long-term commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland by at least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 across the electricity generation, built environment and transport sectors; and, in parallel, to pursue an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production.
Under the Paris Agreement, the EU has committed, on behalf of its Member States, to a reduction of at least 40% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared with 1990 levels, to be achieved by reductions in the Emission Trading System (ETS) sector of 43% and in the non-ETS sector of 30%. The EU Effort Sharing Regulation, which entered into force on 9 July 2018, sets out binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for each Member State for the period 2021 to 2030. Ireland’s target under this Regulation will be for a 30% reduction in 2005 levels of non-ETS emissions by 2030, with a starting point of May 2019, based on average emissions over the period 2016 to 2018.
Official inventories of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions are prepared annually by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The most recent data, for the year 2016, are available on the EPA's website at: www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/ghgemissions2016/#d.en.63244.
According to this data, the breakdown of emissions by sector in 2016 is as follows:
|
Sector |
Mt CO2eq. |
% of total 2016 emissions |
|
Agriculture |
19.85 |
32.3% |
|
Energy Industries |
12.56 |
20.4% |
|
Transport |
12.29 |
20% |
|
Residential |
6.05 |
9.8% |
|
Manufacturing Combustion |
4.55 |
7.4% |
|
Industrial Processes |
2.15 |
3.5% |
|
F-Gases |
1.27 |
2.1% |
|
Commercial Services |
0.99 |
1.6% |
|
Waste |
0.96 |
1.6% |
|
Public Services |
0.87 |
1.4% |
|
Total ETS |
17.73 |
29% |
|
Total Non-ETS |
43.81 |
71% |
The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) established binding annual greenhouse gas emissions targets for EU Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. These targets concern emissions from most sectors not included in the EU ETS, such as transport, buildings, agriculture and waste. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005. This is jointly the most demanding 2020 reduction target allocated under the ESD, and one shared only by Denmark and Luxembourg. For 2030, the recently agreed EU Effort Sharing Regulation sets out binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for each Member State for the period 2021 to 2030. Ireland’s target under this Regulation will be for a 30% reduction on 2005 levels of emissions by 2030.
The latest EPA report on greenhouse gas emissions projections, published in May 2018, indicates that Ireland complied with its annual emissions reduction targets limits in the period 2013 to 2015, but exceeded its annual binding target for the first time in 2016. The report indicates that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by Ireland's 2020 targets could be between 0% and 1% below 2005 levels by 2020, in the context of a target that emissions should be 20% below their 2005 levels. While this is very disappointing, it is not surprising given the recent pace of economic growth, with increases in emissions from the agriculture and transport sectors in particular.
The projected shortfall to our target is further exacerbated by both the constrained investment capacity over the past decade due to the economic crisis, and the extremely challenging nature of the target itself. In fact, it is now accepted that Ireland’s 2020 target was not consistent with what would be achievable on an EU-wide cost-effective basis. With this in mind it is crucial that the focus of our efforts must now be to ensure that we, at the absolute very least, meet our 2030 target.
As a means to addressing Ireland’s emissions reduction challenge, I published Ireland’s first statutory National Mitigation Plan in July 2017. It has established the framework for the development and implementation of medium-to-long-term policy options so as to achieve progressive emissions reductions in each of its four key sectors with the most significant contribution to national emissions (Electricity Generation; the Built Environment; Transport; and Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use).
It is important to note that the National Mitigation Plan is a living document that will be updated as ongoing analysis, dialogue and technological innovation generate more and more cost-effective sectoral mitigation options. This continuous review process reflects the broad and evolving nature of the sectoral challenges outlined in the Plan, coupled with the continued development and deployment of emerging low carbon and cost effective technologies across different sectors of the economy. Such a process will be critical towards managing to decouple greenhouse gas emissions from economic activity.
Building on these strategies, the publication in February of the National Development Plan, reaffirms the Government’s strong commitment to transitioning Ireland to a low carbon, climate resilient economy and society. Almost €22 billion will be directed, between Exchequer and non-Exchequer resources, to addressing the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient society. In addition, the National Development Plan allocated a further €8.6 billion for investments in sustainable mobility. This means that well over €1 in €5 spent under the National Development Plan will be on climate mitigation and this capital investment will enable us to deliver a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030, as well as realising opportunities for sustainable economic growth.
To reflect the significant policy developments since the National Mitigation Plan, in particular with the publication of the National Development Plan, I published an update on climate mitigation policy - Investing in the Transition to a Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Society 2018-2027, which coincided with the Empowering Communities for Climate Action event on 20 June and is available to download on the DCCAE website.
In terms of expenditure, both the National Mitigation Plan and the National Development Plan explicitly recognise that reliance solely on Exchequer expenditure schemes is neither affordable nor adequate to the scale of the challenge to be addressed, and climate mitigation action will require a targeted balance between Exchequer-supported expenditure, taxation measures, regulation and behavioural change. In certain cases, taxation policy may have a stronger role to play in changing individual or business behaviour and investment decisions, including harnessing non-Exchequer finance.
