Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 457: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views, in view of the failure to achieve a 3% reduction in the carbon emissions here, on whether a 3% reduction is achievable for the forthcoming years; the new initiatives he plans to take to achieve this goal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40786/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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In my Carbon Budget statement on 15 October 2008, I stated that over the coming year, the Government will be developing further measures to get to grips with the climate challenge, reduce our purchases of carbon credits and bring us on track for the annual average 3% reduction in emissions to which we are committed in the Programme for Government

As was evident in the Emissions Table which I presented with the Carbon Budget, the Kyoto Protocol target, which we will achieve, is a lower and more demanding target than the 3% commitment in the Programme for Government.

I am not happy that the purchase of carbon credits will be part of our response to our Kyoto target. However, the type of domestic measures required to meet the target without credits cannot be implemented in the short term and credits are needed.

I believe that the challenge we face in terms of the extent of national greenhouse gas emission reductions required for Kyoto Protocol compliance purposes and beyond demands an all-party approach on targets and objectives. I hope that agreement on this can be achieved through the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security.