Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I agree with Deputy Barrett that real difficulties exist. The Government and the European Union want the Cancún conference to deliver significant and ambitious targets. We also want intermediate steps to emerge from Cancún. This country has a particular interest in that regard. For example, we have made contributions on how industry, agriculture and forestry should be treated. Skill and good negotiation ensured specific references were made to that. We support the step up from an emissions reduction target of 20% to 30%. However, we face a reality also. I am not sure that if Europe does burden itself with a 30% target that other countries, including the United States and emerging economies, would be willing to step up to the plate as they have not been in the past.

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