Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Professor Sweeney has been a highly influential scientific adviser to various Oireachtas committees on the climate issue over the years. Mr. Oisín Coghlan said we should stitch the 2050 targets into legislation. I would be nervous about such an approach because I believe our targets might not be sufficiently ambitious. Today, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Junker, has come out strongly saying that we need to increase Europe's contribution to the Paris Agreement, which, in turn, would lead to us having to review our target. Our target is complex because it calls for an 80% reduction across energy transport. It also calls for carbon neutrality; I am uncertain as to what that means. I am nervous about the 80% because it leads to every Department looking to be the 20% that does not have to do its bit and expecting all the other Departments to cover for it.

Have Stop Climate Chaos and An Taisce done any assessment or has the environmental pillar done any review of our likely final climate target within the Paris Agreement if it stays? What would our target need to be if we wanted to achieve a reduction of 1.5° Celsius? Is there any background research or analysis? When is the European Union target likely to be more clearly outlined?