Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the changes in greenhouse gas emissions over the past five years; his targets for each year up to 2020 to reach the 20% reduction guidelines for the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28352/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The EPA is responsible for compiling the national inventories of greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland and for reporting these to the European Union and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). These inventories are compiled on an annual basis using the good practice guidelines established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The results become available in preliminary form about 11 months after the end of a calendar year, and they are then finalised and submitted as required to the EU and UNFCCC over the following 5 months.

The National Inventory Report 2009, which reports on actual emissions in 2007 and previous years, is available on the Agency's website (www.epa.ie). Preliminary greenhouse gas emissions data for 2008 are expected to become available from the Agency towards the end of 2009.

In the period 2008-2012, Ireland is required to meet a challenging greenhouse gas emission reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol; this target is binding in international law. In addition, by 2020, Ireland is committed under the EU climate and energy package agreed in December 2008 to achieve a 20% reduction on 2005 levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the sectors of the economy not covered by the EU emissions trading scheme. This 20% target is binding in EU law, as will any adjustment to it in the light of the outcome to the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCC in Copenhagen later this year.

The EPA is responsible for emission projections. Its most recent analysis, which reflected the ESRI's then assessment of the changed economic situation, was published in March 2009. The updated figures indicated a Distance to Target for the Kyoto period 2008-2012 in the range of 1.3-1.8 million tonnes per annum, a reduction of around 3 million tonnes from the projections of Autumn 2008.

In the current economic climate, an unusually high degree of uncertainty attaches to all projections. It is now clear that the economic contraction will be deeper than assumed in the March projections. It is, accordingly, possible that Ireland will now meet its Kyoto target for the non-trading sector without using carbon credits.

It is important to emphasise that the effect of the recession on our emissions is a short-term one and it would be a serious mistake to ease off on our efforts to address the underlying trend. When economic growth resumes, so too will our emissions grow unless we have the measures in place to achieve the necessary reductions.

All relevant Government Departments are working on the development of further measures to reduce Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. This work is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security, which is chaired by the Taoiseach.