Mr. John McCarthy:

I thank the Deputies for their contributions. Deputy James Bannon referred to the expert advisory body envisaged in the legislation. It is not intended to be a representative body, with various sectors having nominating rights. Head 6(12) refers to a number of people from State agencies such as the EPA, the SEAI, the ESRI and Teagasc, being identified as members. The others have relevant qualifications, expertise and experience. It is a question of trying to populate the body with people who know the sectors involved and the challenges from a climate change point of view rather than asking directly for representatives of the various sectors.

With regard to transport and energy, the big picture issues committee members have mentioned concern the road network, public transport, wind energy and renewables, community engagement and a buy-in to the development of wind turbines. Senator Cáit Keane mentioned the extent to which Ireland was well located geographically, particularly for the production of wind energy. We are in a good location, but environmental issues and community acceptance are associated with it and we must chart our way through major societal shifts, supported by science, evidence and strong communication with the public and key stakeholders. Rather than talking at people, we can talk to them in a language they understand in order that they will see the role they can play.

Deputy James Bannon referred to the global treaty on emissions reductions. This is a global challenge in that the issues involved will only be solved at a global level. The intention under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, is to reach a global treaty by the end of 2015 that will kick in in 2020, after the second Kyoto Protocol period has expired. It must be a treaty that will involve all countries making commitments in line with their capabilities. The first Kyoto Protocol period has just come to an end and some countries, including EU member states, have agreed to have a second period under the protocol to 2020. The Kyoto Protocol was built on architecture that split the developed and the developing worlds. It was a creature of its time.

As the international negotiations document the EU just published makes clear, there are now more than 30 that are still classed as developing countries which have higher economic activity per capitathan the lowest economicper capitacountry in the EU. That really underscores the importance of ensuring we build a new global climate treaty which reflects the realities of the world today rather than the realities of the world 20 or 30 years ago when the developed versus the developing country model was first introduced.

Within the developing world, there is still a very large number of countries which are least equipped to deal with climate change but which are most significantly affected by it. That was raised in some of the contributions and that will be a crucial part of the new global climate treaty, that is, how are developing countries, which are still developing countries and are not just labelled as such, to be assisted, both in adapting to climate change and in reducing their own emissions. As recently as yesterday when speaking at the Boston College ceremony, the Taoiseach pointed very clearly to the fact that in the past week, we have evidence that carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have passed the 400 particles per million threshold - the threshold beyond which everybody in the scientific community accepts. We have now moved into even more dangerous territory. Again, the Taoiseach used the opportunity to exhort those graduating from Boston College and going out into the world to use their education in a way that ultimately passes on the planet to the next generation in a better condition.