Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 146:

In page 19, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:"(f) when providing advice under subsection (1)(a), the Advisory Council shall

express a view as to—

(i) the respective contributions towards meeting the annual targets and the

domestic effort target that should be made—

(I) by the traded sector of the economy,

(II) by the other sectors of the economy,

(ii) the respective contributions towards meeting the annual targets that should be made by—

(I) energy efficiency,

(II) energy generation,

(III) land use,

(IV) transport,

(g) when providing advice under this subsection, the Advisory Council may also express a view as to any other matter that body considers appropriate including,

in particular, as to any sectors of the economy in which there are particular opportunities for contributions to be made towards meeting annual targets

through reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases,

(h) when providing advice under this subsection, the Advisory Council shall also express a view as to the cumulative amount of net emissions for the period

2010-2050 that is consistent with a reduction over that period of net emissions accounts which would allow the 2050 target to be met.".

With this amendment, we are looking to flesh out the terms of reference for the periodic review. We are looking to install some guidelines which would make up a more substantial terms of reference position. The amendment states that when providing advice under subsection (1)(a), the advisory council shall express a view as to the respective contributions towards meeting the annual targets and the domestic effort target that should be made by the traded sector of the economy and by the other sectors of the economy, and the respective contributions towards meeting the annual targets that should be made by energy efficiency, energy generation, land use and transport. The amendment stipulates that when providing advice under this subsection, the advisory council may also express a view as to any other matter that body considers appropriate, including, in particular, as to any sectors of the economy in which there are particular opportunities for contributions to be made towards meeting annual targets through reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases, and that when providing advice under this subsection, the advisory council shall also express a view as to the cumulative amount of net emissions for the period 2010-50 that is consistent with a reduction over that period of net emissions accounts which would allow the 2050 target to be met.

The purpose of the amendment is to give more direction to the annual or 18-month reviews with specific reference to the possible contributions by different sectors of the economy and different sources of emissions. Our performance across the different sectors is uneven. We are going in the wrong direction on transport and we are going in a seriously wrong direction on agriculture. There seems to be no stemming of the tide. We are even out of sync with much of Europe.

These ideas are taken from the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. I do not see why we could not do our best to emulate best international practice, which is all we would be doing by inserting these conditions and following the Scottish example. This is not unreasonable given that we are so far behind.

See this speech in context