Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 September 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Sectoral Emissions Ceilings: Engagement with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending. It could be believed, from a lot of the public commentary and attention around sectoral emissions ceilings, that the only area of concern was agriculture. It was almost presumed that every other sector would be given a responsibility for the upper end of the carbon budget target range but that is not the case when we see it.

I will ask about the process. It is the first time anybody has gone through this process. The Minister has had the responsibility, in the context of uncertainty, emerging technologies and unknowns, of trying to work and negotiate his way through this. Will the Minister, if he can, reflect on that process? What are the trade-offs and constraints? Are they technical constraints in terms of feasibility? Are they political constraints involving the political system or markets that have not yet emerged or are not ready? Will he address that specifically in relation to the area of electricity? There are particular considerations and challenges there. We know and have heard a lot about the opportunity for offshore wind and renewables. There was a promise of increasing ambition.

The war in Ukraine has obviously impacted on that. An increase in ambition was announced yesterday. Will the Minister focus on that in relation to the challenge ahead to achieve the targets that have been agreed and the reason they are not more ambitious?

Related to that, will the Minister make the tools that will inform decision-making processes publicly available? That would be of benefit. It is in the public interest. There is an opportunity and a need for greater transparency in relation to the trade-offs required to deliver climate action. As the Minister is aware, we have sought publication of the McKinsey report. More than that, as we have for the financial budget and financial policy decisions, I and other Opposition Members need to be able to ask individual Departments about the emission reductions that we can achieve by pursuing policy X versus policy Y. We do not have that and it is a weakness of the system. We should deliver that and while that may be a challenge in the immediate term, we should work towards it. I would welcome the Minister's response in that regard.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.