Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Transport the estimated greenhouse gas emissions for the transport sector in respect of 2012, 2015 and 2020 in view of the recently changed economic conditions; if his Department has changed its targets for reducing transport emissions in view of the changed economic environment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13696/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The production of CO2 emissions projections is a matter for the Environmental Protection Agency. The latest such data available to my Department was published by the Agency in March 2009. At that time, average transport CO2 emissions for the 2008 to 2012 period were projected by the Agency to be in the region of 14.4 million tonnes. For 2015 and 2020, the projections were in the region of 16 and 18 million tonnes respectively.

With regard to the likely effects of the current economic situation on future transport emissions, it is not possible, at this stage, to make such predictions with accuracy. However, the EPA have carried out sensitivity analysis on economy wide emissions. This "economic shock" analysis suggests that the projected impact is relatively small in the longer term, amounting to around a 2% reduction in economy wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. The Government's aim is to achieve emissions reductions that are sustainable in the long term. It is therefore vital to address the necessary changes in personal behaviour over the short, medium and long term as outlined in Smarter Travel, A Sustainable Transport Future.