Ms Emer Griffin:

Yes, I can try to make a few comments on this and explain it as best I can.

The IPCC report is agnostic in what metrics countries use. Obviously, the new report that came out indicates the clear message that depending on the metric used, it will have a different end time of when we achieve net zero. At EU level, therefore, we use the global warming potential, GWP, as listed in the IPCC AR5 report, which is the previous report to this. Those metrics will only come into force from 2021. The reporting requirement is up to 2030, which is the EU requirement. We are currently using it at EU level. When Ireland makes its reporting, therefore, it is AR4 up to 2020. Like Deputy Bruton said, there are different values for different gases under these different GWPs as they are in the report.

If we are trying to look at ways of changing the value of a certain gas such as methane, therefore, we are informed through the EU regulations and also what is agreed at the Conference of the Parties, COP. In these, for the Paris Agreement, it has been agreed that we will be using IPPC AR5 or I believe the language says something like unless a subsequent value that is determined by the IPCC. It is, therefore, really through that process that we would have to look at ways.

There will be more coming out in the working group 3 report, which is coming out in quarter 1 of next year. Three reports make up the full AR6 report. The working group 1 report has just come out, working group 2 is on adaptation and working group 3 then is on mitigation. There will be a bit more on these metrics and information in that report. I think that will tell us a lot in terms of how we consider them at an EU level and the implications.