Mr. Brian Carroll:

On climate neutral, the UNFCCC has said we need to get CO₂emissions to net zero by 2050 and that emissions of non-CO₂gases need to be brought to net zero in the years following 2050. What is meant by "neutral" is that where there are continuing emissions of a greenhouse gas, they are offset by the creation of sinks or other technologies that balance them out. The EU, in terms of climate leadership, is going a bit beyond the UNFCCC and saying that not just CO₂but all greenhouse gases need to be brought to net zero by 2050. That is the position with regard to the EU 2050 target.

The Deputy raised the issue of our climate Bill. It is seeking to have a similar objective to that at EU level.

On the article in the Naturemagazine, I am afraid I have not read it and am not familiar with some of its arguments or the evidence in it to support them, but I would be interested in reading it.

On carbon leakage, the EU is certainly very cognisant of it. It terms of its proposals, it is seeking to prevent carbon leakage. On the design of the new architecture, that will certainly be one of the features to be protected against to ensure we are not solving one problem and creating another by offshoring greenhouse gases.