Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1303: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his assessment of the climate change targets set by the EU for Ireland and their impact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2572/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The European Commission published a package of energy and climate change proposals on 23 January 2008. The proposals are intended to meet the commitments made by EU Heads of State and Government at the 2007 Spring meeting of the European Council that EU greenhouse gas emissions be reduced by at least 20% on 1990 levels by 2020 and that renewable energy contribute 20% of the EU's energy requirements by 2020. The package comprises the following proposals: a decision on the effort-sharing proposal for Member States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community's greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020; a directive amending the original EU Emissions Trading Scheme Directive (2003/87/EC) so as to improve and extend the scheme; a directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources; and a directive or Regulation on carbon capture and storage.

In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, in the event of the EU target increasing in the context of a new international agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, the proposed level of effort for individual Member States will have to be revisited. In Ireland's case, the effect of the proposals would be installations in the emissions trading sector would participate in a new Emissions Trading Scheme managed by the Commission rather than by national Governments, with an overall target of a reduction of 21% in emissions by 2020 as compared to 1995: outside of the emissions trading sector, the required reduction in our domestic greenhouse gas emissions would be 20% by 2020 as compared to 2005; and there would be an overall target of 16% of final energy consumption from renewable energy to be met across the electricity, heat and transport sectors by 2020.

In response to the publication of the package, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to meeting the challenge of climate change. While it is too early in the process to draw any specific conclusions on the package of measures, the proposals raise very serious economic and social issues for Ireland, and require very careful consideration. The greenhouse gas and renewable energy targets may be challenging but so too is the threat of climate change. The scientific advice from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is that these are the scale of emission reductions that must be made by developed countries if greenhouse gases are to be stabilised in the atmosphere at a safe level. The Government has established a Technical Analysis Steering Group to undertake detailed analysis of the proposals and their implications for the purpose of informing the Government's response to the proposals and for subsequent discussions with the Commission and other Member States.