Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman for inviting me to the committee today to make a presentation on why Ireland should ratify the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The Government strongly supports the concerted international action needed in order to address the global challenge of climate change. Together, with our EU colleagues, Ireland had to facilitate entry into force of the Paris Agreement of November 2016. The goals of the Paris Agreement are very much in line with Ireland's national policy position on climate change 2014, which set out our vision to transition to a competitive low-carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050.

Ireland also supports international efforts to assist developing countries adapt to climate change. Irish financial support in 2016 amounted to €52.7 million, an increase on €36 million in 2015. The increase is largely due to an improvement in reporting activities across Government bodies and civil society organisations. This resulted in a more complete picture of Ireland's total climate finance contributions. It is our intention to increase the green climate finance fund over time.

The Montreal Protocol entered into force in 1989. It was designed to phase out the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances, which damage the ozone layer. The protocol is viewed as a very successful international intervention. Stratospheric ozone levels are recovering and are expected to reach 1980 levels towards the end of this century.

In the phasing out of ozone depleting substances the protocol has, unfortunately, contributed to the rapid growth of hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs, as replacement gases. Many HFCs while not ozone depleting have a high global warming potential and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

Action on HFCs is vital as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, has estimated that if no action is taken then HFCs might represent between 9% and 19% of overall greenhouse emissions by 2050. The Kigali amendment to the UN response is the UN response to this challenge. It includes specific targets and timetables to replace HFCs with more climate-friendly alternatives thus avoiding up to a 0.5° Celsius increase in global warming.

HFCs are already subject to a phase-down under EU Regulation No. 517 of 2014 on fluorinated greenhouse gases. The regulation is also known as the F-gas Regulation. The regulation will have to be revised at a later stage in order to ensure compliance with the Kigali amendment beyond 2030.

The reduction schedule beyond 2030 is determined on the basis of a review of the EU regulation, which is to start in 2022. The amendment includes a provision to prohibit or restrict countries that have ratified the protocol or its amendments from trading in control substances with states that have not yet ratified the protocol.

The phase-down of HFCs, under the Kigali amendment, will operate on a schedule that gives developed countries, including the EU, earlier targets. For Ireland, as a developed country, the phase-down commitment begins in 2019 with a 10% reduction in the use of HFCs. This level of phase-down should be met within the existing EU phase-down framework of EU Regulation No. 517 of 2014. Reductions will continue on a phased basis until we have an 85% reduction by 2036.

The amendment also provides for assistance through a multilateral fund to developing countries to help them meet their phase-down obligations. Such assistance is already provided to meet pre-existing obligations under the Montreal Protocol.

The main financial commitments, under the Kigali agreement, will commence in 2024. There will be preparatory funding prior to that date with some additional payment obligations arising in 2021. In light of this cost, Dáil Éireann must approve the ratification of the amendment. The Government, even before the ratification of the Kigali amendment, provided fast-track funding. The commitment was made at the back end of 2016 and the money was allocated in 2017 to start the process of implementing the Kigali amendment. At the time the US State Department, which was led by the then Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, publicly acknowledged the leadership role played by Ireland and a handful of countries that were to the fore when implementing the amendment.

There is another aspect to this, which is Kigali cooling. While the Kigali amendment itself will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on global warming by 0.5° Celsius, Kigali cooling, which deals mainly with air conditioning equipment and those types of cooling elements, can provide us with an additional 0.5° Celsius.

There is significant potential to the Kigali amendment and I hope to have this ratified in advance of my visit to Toronto next month. I hope that my colleagues can facilitate in that regard.

The EU and its member states have been to the forefront in the negotiation of the Kigali amendment. The EU has agreed to ratify it in its own right and is awaiting member states' national ratifications. A number of member states have already ratified it. Ratification by Ireland is a clear signal of our commitment to playing our part in tackling global climate change. Together with the EU ratification of the Doha amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, this ratification will send another signal of our intent to take on our global responsibilities and minimise our impact on the global climate.