Seanad debates

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Annual National Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Shane RossShane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As we have already heard this afternoon, Ireland faces an enormous challenge in its transition to a low-carbon society. It is a challenge which must be met by all sectors in Government in a collective effort if we are to begin to achieve our long-term climate goals. I understand the significant role the transport sector plays in this effort, and we are delivering a range of measures to reduce transport emissions and improve our transport sector’s resilience to the effects of climate change. While we have made progress, we still have a mountain to climb.

From the outset, we should recognise that the transport journeys of today are lower emitting than ever before and the substantial gains we have seen in the energy efficiency of vehicles are expected to continue. In fact, some projections suggest that CO2 emissions from cars alone will decrease by an additional 40% by 2050. However, there is a real danger that this significant progress in efficiency and emission reductions will be largely offset by strong global growth in transport demand. Ireland is no different in this regard and there has been strong growth in travel demand in recent years. We only need to look at our roads or any of our public transport services to see the increasing volume of people on the move.It is positive to see greater movement of people and goods as it is a sign of an active economy. Nevertheless, we must continue the decoupling of the growing economy from climate emissions and we must achieve that without negatively affecting national progress. In transport, we are working to reduce emissions on four main fronts. The first is through increasing capacity and improving the attractiveness of public transport and the active travel modes to cater for the growing demand and to provide a meaningful alternative to the car. During the reporting period of 2017 alone, an additional 16 million public transport passenger journeys were made in Ireland and the number of walking and cycling trips also increased, particularly within the Dublin area. We are working to ensure that this trend continues. I have prioritised investment in this area with €8.6 billion allocated to sustainable mobility under the national development plan. This investment will allow for the development of MetroLink, the roll-out of BusConnects in all major cities, which will include significantly enhanced cycling facilities in those cities, the DART expansion programme in the greater Dublin area and increased funding generally for cycling and walking infrastructure across the State.

Our second key line of attack on transport emissions is supporting the transition of vehicles away from fossil fuels. Even with an expanded and enhanced public transport system, some people will not be in a position to move away from the car. In those cases, we need to limit the impact of car use by encouraging a move towards alternative low or zero-emission fuels and technologies. In 2017, my Department published the National Policy Framework on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure for Transport in Ireland 2017 to 2030. It is in this framework that we set out our ambition that by 2030 all new cars and vans sold in Ireland will be zero emissions capable. To support this ambition, a low-emissions vehicle task force was established to support and accelerate the deployment of low-carbon transport technologies. Phase 1 of the task force focused solely on incentivising electric vehicles and a number of its recommendations were adopted in budgets 2018 and 2019, expanding the suite of supports available for electric vehicles. Today, we are reaping the rewards of those incentives with a marked increase in the number of electric vehicles on our roads.

The third pillar in reducing transport emissions relates to the biofuels obligation scheme. It is arguably the most important mitigation measure we have in our arsenal at the moment, as it reduces emissions from conventionally fuelled vehicles essentially disturbance free. The scheme ensures that a percentage of conventional fossil fuel is replaced with sustainable biofuel and added to the fuel mix. Currently, 8% of our transport fuel is biofuel and a welcome incremental increase in this rate for 2019 has been announced. Biofuels have played a significant role in reducing transport emissions. In 2017, it accounted for 450,000 tonnes of reduced CO2 emissions, a 3.4% saving.

The final front on which we are tackling emissions is through vehicle production standards. We are pushing strongly at a European level to ensure that more efficient production standards for cars, vans and heavy good vehicles are introduced. That will mean the Irish consumer will be presented with cleaner vehicles, making the greener choice an easier option. In parallel with reducing emissions we must also equip the transport sector to prepare for and react to the ill effects of climate change.

In 2017, my Department published our first sectoral adaptation plan, Developing Resilience to Climate Change in the Irish Transport Sector, in which the risks facing the sector were identified, such as damage to infrastructure and disruptions to public transport services from high winds, storms and flooding. We are building our capacity for climate adaptation within key transport organisations. I was pleased to see proactive engagement from the sector, notably Transport Infrastructure Ireland's publication of its Strategy for Adapting to Climate Change on Ireland's Light Rail and National Road Network and Irish Rail's ongoing work developing its coastal railway vulnerability index. My Department will build upon the adaptation plan in the coming years by working to quantify the cost of climate change, raising awareness of vulnerabilities within the sector and ensuring that our investments are future-proofed, especially in light of the increasingly severe weather events we are experiencing.

To conclude, we face a significant challenge to decarbonise Irish society. Achieving the necessary emissions reductions will require continuing and strengthening mitigation measures already in place as well as introducing an array of new ones. That requires continued close co-operation between all Departments and support for the whole-of-Government, least-cost approach we are deploying. I will ensure it remains a priority in the transport sector.

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