Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Lynn BoylanLynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank both expert speakers for giving of their time. I will keep my contribution short to give them time to respond. My first question is for Dr. Jackson. In his opening statement he referred to amending the Bill to ensure that climate action and biodiversity are fully complementary. The Bill as it stands refers to biodiversity, but it links it with ecosystem services. My concern is that the Government has taken a very utilitarian attitude towards biodiversity. We can see how forestry is being used as a carbon sink but at the sacrifice of Natura. Has Dr. Jackson thoughts on how we could strengthen that in the Bill?

The importance of interim targets was mentioned by previous speakers. As the Bill is laid out, without those interim targets and the framing of the objective where they sit, we know that it is possible for a Minister to backload carbon emissions. I would like the witnesses' thoughts on how, in the absence of those interim targets and even if there is not an intention to backload emissions, there is the duty to get back on track if they do not meet their targets, even if they are trying to. How effective does having interim targets allow for the planning of budgets and that type of trajectory?

I will make brief reference to biogenic methane. A parliamentary question was submitted concerning the reference in the Bill to the IPCC report from 2018. I ask both speakers to revert, in writing to the committee, regarding that response from the Minister.

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