Michael Fitzpatrick (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

As a member of the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Our planet is warming up and our climate is changing because of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases. Many human activities — manufacturing, farming, driving our cars and heating our homes — are responsible for generating greenhouse gases. The resulting gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are contributing to a gradual warming of the planet. This warming is already disrupting climate patterns and without strong counter-measures, it will intensify. In Ireland we are threatened with wetter winters, increased flooding and summer droughts. Rising sea levels will increase risks to our coastal cities, towns and villages and we will experience more intense storms. This is the doomsday scenario that the experts are telling us will come about, unless we begin to combat the effects of climate change.

The national climate change strategy sets out, in a detailed and specific way, the comprehensive measures the Government has put in place to enable Ireland to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol. The strategy brings together the range of actions being taken by the Government to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. It provides the necessary overall Government co-ordination to meet Ireland's Kyoto Protocol commitments and builds on progress made since the original national climate change strategy was published in 2000.

The strategy contains measures relating to all sectors of the economy, including energy, transport, agriculture, the residential sector and businesses. It includes existing measures put in place on foot of the previous national climate change strategy and, subsequently, through the National Development Plan 2007-2013, Transport 21, the White Paper on Energy and the bioenergy action plan. It also includes a series of additional measures to deliver the overall objective of putting Ireland on a path towards a low carbon economy.

The strategy shows that the total contribution of measures adopted by the Government will account for 80% of the effort that Ireland will need make in order to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. The remaining 20% will be made up by Ireland's use of the flexible mechanisms. These will allow parties to the Kyoto Protocol to support the development of clean technology in the developing world in return for emissions credits. A sum of €270 million has been allocated under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 for investment in such projects over the lifetime of the strategy.

The Carbon Fund Bill will provide the necessary legislative underpinning for the National Treasury Management Agency to undertake its role as purchasing agent on behalf of the State. The public sector will be required to measure, report and reduce its emissions. Public sector bodies will have specific targets to reduce their emissions and will be required to indicate progress in their annual reports. The Government will require the exclusive purchase of energy efficient light bulbs for use by public bodies by the end of this year. It is planned that the Government will publish another climate change strategy for the period to 2020, when Ireland's post-2012 commitments are known.

The current strategy sets out, on a sectoral basis, a combination of existing and additional measures that will reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by over 17 million tones of carbon dioxide equivalent in the period 2008-12. Additional measures for the purposes of the strategy encompass policies and measures adopted since the previous projections were completed for the Government in March 2006.

Ireland is playing its part and will meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. However, this is just the first step. The international community is working towards an agreement on strengthened global action to control emissions. This will follow on from the Kyoto Protocol. The European Union, including Ireland, has already committed to further significant reductions in emissions by 2020. Achieving these reductions will require sustained effort. All of us — the Government, public authorities, businesses, farmers, families and individuals — must play a part. Working together we can achieve our targets without compromising competitiveness, economic performance or quality of life. We will benefit from harnessing more renewable energy, using energy more efficiently and embracing low carbon technologies.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Ireland must limit the growth in its emissions to 13% above 1990 levels over the 2008-12 period. Measures already in place and additional measures outlined in the national climate change strategy will effectively reduce our overall emissions from almost 80 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year to our Kyoto Protocol target of 63 million tonnes.

The national climate change strategy 2007-12 builds on Ireland's first such strategy and its purpose is to show clearly the measures by which Ireland will meet its 2008-12 Kyoto Protocol commitments, to illustrate how these measures will position us for the post-2012 period and to identify the areas in which further measures are being researched and developed to enable us meet our eventual 2020 commitments.

We must reduce our heavy reliance on fossil fuels and expand the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar power and biomass. The aim is to source 15% of electricity from renewable energy by 2010 and 33% by 2020. The strategy will promote using energy more efficiently and further reduce the CO2 output of large industrial plants through their participation in the EU emissions trading scheme. Grant schemes are supporting homeowners and businesses to switch to renewable energy and planning changes have made it easier to install solar panels and small wind turbines.

Information on how householders can save energy is being provided through the ongoing energy efficiency Power of One campaign. Traditional, incandescent light bulbs will be phased out and the use of more energy efficient alternatives encouraged. Smart meters which offer greater energy saving opportunities will be supplied to all electricity customers.

While the energy efficiency of the economy has increased, Irish business and industry can and will do more. Further efficiency gains are achievable. Agriculture and forestry can make a big contribution to reducing greenhouse gases. The strategy envisages considerable expansion of forestry and energy crops, continued support for these industries and incentives for farmers to become involved. Agriculture is also a significant source of greenhouse gases and is responsible for 28% of Ireland's overall emissions. The strategy is targeting further reductions through improved environmental management on farms, with reduced fertilizer use and better manure management.

Climate change cannot be ignored. We have the strategies in place and must now enact them in order to ensure future generations will reap the benefits.

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