Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 969: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his proposals to improve the national record in regard to climate change (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38822/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The National Climate Change Strategy 2007 - 2012 sets out the measures on foot of which Ireland will meet its target for the purposes of the Kyoto Protocol. Since the publication of the Strategy, work has continued across Government Departments on the development of measures to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions.

Progress in implementing such measures, and the coordination of work across Government with respect to the climate change agenda is overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security. That Committee has established two inter-departmental groups to support its work. The Senior Officials Group is tasked with addressing the challenges posed to Ireland in achieving its greenhouse gas emission targets and informing and implementing policy in this regard, while the Technical Advisory Steering Group, which includes representatives from relevant agencies, provides the modelling expertise which underpins the analysis. An informal Expert Advisory Panel has also been established by the Cabinet Committee to assist in the analysis of possible policy measures.

In addition, the Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security is also important in developing cross-party consensus both on targets and on the measures required to achieve them.

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 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009.

The most recent analysis of carbon emission projections by the EPA indicates 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.

Tackling climate change is a core national priority, one which I believe needs to be underpinned by framework legislation. To this end the Government, in July, 2009, endorsed my proposal to begin drafting a Climate Change Bill. This framework legislation will enshrine the policies and principles to reflect the core national objective of combating climate change and will also act as a driver towards achieving that objective across all sectors of society in Ireland.