Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies on both sides of the House for their contributions to the debate. The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, wished to take part in this important debate given his strong interest in the issue of climate change, which was the main reason the Green Party entered Government. However, the Minister is meeting other EU Ministers of the Environment to press Ireland's case in the European Union's climate and energy package and its strategy for the next UN climate conference in December.

Our modern and very busy lifestyles exert enormous pressure on our natural environment, as is evident from the scientific advice on climate change. If climate change is allowed to continue unchecked, the consequences for humanity and the environment are almost beyond comprehension. It is hard to believe we face the real possibility of triggering abrupt or irreversible impacts which have the potential to devastate whole countries and displace millions of people all over the world. The scientific and economic advice points to the need for and benefits of early and effective action.

Ireland is playing its part at national and European Union level and in international efforts to find an effective global response to this significant global challenge. The ultimate objective of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is to stabilise greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at a safe level. Achieving this objective will entail significant changes in our lifestyle, socially and economically. The Kyoto Protocol was only a first step in the global response to climate change and a much greater effort by developed countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be required if the ultimate objective of the 1992 convention is to be achieved.

The next decade will be crucial. We have a window of opportunity for an effective global response to climate change. Fundamental to this response is the need for global greenhouse emissions to peak within ten to 15 years and, thereafter, decline significantly by 2050. The longer it takes to mobilise an effective global response, the higher will be the cost in human and economic terms. The European Union is providing leadership in the international negotiations on climate change and pressing for an ambitious agenda for global action in the period to 2020 and beyond. Ireland fully supports this proactive approach.

The scientific advice underpins the need to have significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the economic advice points to the advantages of acknowledging and embracing the inevitable change to a low carbon future. Last January, the European Commission published a package of proposals to address EU greenhouse gas emission reductions and renewable energy targets for 2020. As expected, the proposed individual targets are tough and raise serious economic and social issues for Ireland and other member states. At this year's spring meeting of the European Council, Heads of State and Government of all 27 European Union member states endorsed the package as a good starting point and basis for agreement on the Union's ambitious 2020 targets.

The economic and environmental realities of climate change have hit home and the firm focus within the European Union is on achieving the necessary greenhouse gas emission reductions. The national climate change strategy sets out the measures by which Ireland will meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments and how these measures will position us to achieve further significant emission reductions in the post-2012 period.

Central to the strategy are measures such as reform of energy markets, ambitious targets for renewables, participation by Ireland in the EU emissions trading scheme, record investment in public transport and substantial reduction in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through strengthening of building regulations. All will play their part in Ireland reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The strategy has been enhanced by further measures introduced by the Government. These include the revision of motor taxation and vehicle registration tax, strengthening the energy requirements in building regulations, the commencement of work on energy standards for lighting and a programme of expenditure on energy efficiency, including pilot funding announced in the recent budget. These and other measures were announced by my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, in his first carbon budget last December.

In meeting our international and domestic targets, the Government will aim to introduce further measures to reduce national emissions. The more we can achieve in terms of transition to a low carbon society in the Kyoto Protocol period, the better prepared we will be to manage the more demanding agenda in the period to 2020 and beyond. We have a national climate change strategy to meet our Kyoto challenges up to 2012. A new climate change strategy will make sense when we learn what will be are 2020 targets following the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in 2009.

The Government is strongly representing Ireland's concerns and interests in the EU negotiations. As Deputies noted, agriculture is an important economic sector and a major source of emissions. We continue to press this issue with our EU partners in negotiations. A whole-of-government approach is taken on climate change. It is led by a special Cabinet committee on climate change and energy security chaired by the Taoiseach.

On the issue of energy intensive industries, I concur that it is important to give industry greater certainty for the purposes of making investments and this point has been made in the negotiations. Carbon leakage is an issue we also want properly addressed in the Commission's proposals. I thank Deputies who contributed to this productive and, I hope, fruitful debate.

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