John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I refer to the reply to Question No. 68 of 9 July 2008 in which I indicated that, since publication of the current national climate change strategy, work has continued across Departments on the development of further measures to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions. I also pointed out that, under the direction of the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, Departments have intensified their work on developing measures both for the Kyoto period and the longer term and, in that respect, work towards a new national climate change strategy is under way.

Ireland will meet its EU commitment for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol. While the latest data from the EPA point to a greater challenge than was previously projected, I stated in my carbon budget speech last week that the gap will have to be bridged by a combination of further measures and the purchase of carbon credits under the flexible mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol. While this is a valid response, I have made it clear that the use of carbon credits must be supplementary to emission reductions and that we must not, under any circumstances, allow the option to purchase credits to deflect from the fundamental objective of taking the necessary actions towards a low-carbon trajectory in the longer term.

The carbon budget drew together the key national responses to greenhouse gas emission reductions for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol and beyond. Some responses will deliver emission reductions in the short to medium term but the longer term is even more important. The level of structural change needed to underpin a transition to a low carbon economy cannot be achieved overnight and my priority in the carbon budget was to put in place the type of drivers that are needed, such as the new 40% target for electricity from renewable sources, to achieve the objective as quickly as possible in a longer-term context.

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