Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the action taken to proof agriculture here against climate change in view of the upcoming Copenhagen summit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43456/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2008, the EU set itself the twin targets of increasing the share of renewables in energy use to 20% and reducing its overall greenhouse gas emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. At the Conference of the Parties being held in Copenhagen next month, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is hoping to finalise their ongoing efforts to secure an international agreement on global greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The EU is prepared to scale up its emissions reduction commitment, from 20%, to as much as 30%, as its contribution to securing a fair and ambitious agreement.

Ireland is committed to reducing non-trading sector emissions, which includes emissions from the agriculture sector, by 20%, relative to 2005 levels by 2020. To assist the Government in identifying the most appropriate means of achieving Ireland's non-trading sector target, the Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security is examining the emissions reduction potential of the non-trading sector and will report to Government on the optimum alternatives to achieve this goal.

In tandem, my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government is in the process of developing a national climate change adaptation framework strategy and a new climate change bill, which will include specific provisions on climate change adaptation. This planned adaptation framework and proposed legislation will provide a mechanism for the integration of adaptation issues into decision making at both national and local level.