Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

Overall energy related CO2 emissions, including domestic and international aviation, increased by 0.4% in 2006, resulting from a 0.9% increase in overall energy demand while the economy grew by 5.7%. This compares with a 5.1% increase in energy related emissions in 2005 and a 4.2% increase in demand. On a Kyoto Protocol basis, excluding international aviation, a reduction in energy related CO2 emissions of 0.4% was recorded in 2006.

All sectors with the exception of transport experienced reductions in direct energy related CO2 emissions in 2006. Industry experienced a 0.6% increase, residential sector experienced a 1.2% reduction, services experienced an 8.8% reduction and transport energy related emissions grew by 7.1% in 2006. Overall, electricity generation experienced a 1.8% reduction in CO2 emissions, notwithstanding a 6.3% growth in electricity demand. In total, renewable energy contribution to total energy demand increased by 15% in 2006.

Electricity generated from wind grew by 46%, bringing the contribution of renewables to gross electricity consumption to 8.6% at the end of 2006, up from 6.8% in 2005, an increase of 32% in absolute terms. The current estimate, provisional, of renewable contribution to gross electricity consumption is just over 10%. Had transport energy not experienced any growth in 2006, energy-related CO2 emissions would have reduced by 2.8%. It is the case that energy related CO2 emissions increased by 54% between 1990 and 2006. In that context there is no doubt that the transport sector presents the greatest challenge in reducing energy related greenhouse gas emissions.

My colleague, the Minister for Transport, is preparing a sustainable travel and transport action plan which I understand he intends to publish for consultation shortly. Furthermore, my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, announced a range of measures in the carbon budget creating structural change in relation to VRT and motor taxation to provide incentives for more sustainable choices in the car fleet in the medium to long term.

My Department intends introducing a variety of other measures to promote energy efficiency and renewables to help us meet the Government's targeted 3% annual reduction in CO2 emissions.

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