Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Bruton, because those questions around that architecture of governance and the semester process in the NECP are really crucial.

On the cross-European areas, in terms of aviation and shipping, certainly whenever we try to address the issue of aviation we are told this is an EU competency. Within this new set of targets at the EU level, what will the monitoring or structures be around aviation and shipping and the reduction of emissions in those sectors?

I am also interested in the semester process, but in terms of the shift that may be happening with agriculture, Mr. Carroll will be aware that there is quite a lot of concern at the moment that the initial proposals on the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, do not seem to be compatible with the achievement of these goals. There are also concerns about the energy charter and countries which are seeking to transition and will need to transition their energy supply very significantly. That may dovetail with the question on the NECP, but what obstacles might there be in that area?

Turning to the question of, as Mr. Carroll is calling it, carbon leakage, I am wondering if life cycle accounting is perhaps a better term because the phrase "carbon leakage" can be used in two ways as an argument in that we should not have high regulations here and so on. With non-territorial emissions or life cycle accounting, regardless of whether the responsibility for all of the carbon produced across the life cycle of any product is counted in any one country, there would at least be a transparency of accountability in terms of life cycle accounting. Is that something Mr. Carroll thinks might be useful or key in addressing the kinds of issues Deputy Smith raised?

Lastly, on the just transition, Mr. Carroll mentioned territorial planning and that there was some advance work - advance mapping - happening on that. I just wanted to clarify, is that sectoral mapping as well as geographical mapping? Is the Department mapping sectors that are going to need a just transition as well as, perhaps, geographical areas which will need it?