Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
194. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount paid by the State in respect of it missing its climate change targets to date; and the estimated amount forecasted or accounted for that the State will pay in each of the next ten years. [54436/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2009 Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) set annual binding emissions reduction targets for EU Member States for the period 2013-2020. These targets cover emissions from sectors outside of the EU Emissions Trading System, such as agriculture, transport, buildings and waste. For the year 2020, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their level in 2005. The Effort Sharing Decision allows Member States to meet their targets by means of unused emissions allowances from earlier years, or through purchasing allowances from other Member States or on international markets.
The latest estimates of greenhouse gas emissions, published in October 2021 by the EPA, indicate that 2020 emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by the ESD are expected to be approximately 7% below 2005 levels. The most recent estimates of the additional costs of purchasing carbon credits for compliance with these targets were in the region of €6 million to €13 million, depending on the price and final quantity of allowances required. This is in addition to a total of €117 million that has already been spent as part of Ireland’s strategy to meet its targets under the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012).
As a follow up to the ESD, the EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) sets further binding emission reduction targets for Member States for the period 2021-2030. The current target for Ireland is a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Climate Action Plan 2019 set out the policies and measures that Ireland must take to meet this target and avoid any costs arising from not meeting the target. The recently published Climate Action Plan 2021 sets out the practical measures that we need to take to meet a higher level ambition of reducing our emissions by 51% versus 2018 levels.
