Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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115. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he committed to any targets for Ireland at the UN climate change conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36521/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I presume that the Question relates to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit in September 2014 which the Taoiseach attended. While not part of the formal UNFCCC negotiations, the UN Secretary General convened world leaders in order to mobilise political will for an ambitious global legal climate agreement by 2015 that limits the world to a below 2°C rise in global temperatures. The Summit witnessed the announcement and launch of a wide range of initiatives aiming for ambitious and realisable action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience to future climate impacts . In this context, t he Taoiseach announced Ireland’s support for a number of these international initiatives , including in relation to Climate Smart Agriculture; carbon pricing; the phase down of HFCs; and green freight. These initiatives involve working with other countries to share information and best practice towards a common goal and do not include additional explicit targets.

The Taoiseach also took the opportunity to set out Ireland’s strong record in a range of areas, including:

- over-achievement of commitments under the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol from 2008 to 2012;

- the setting of a long-term objective for 2050 of an 80% carbon emission reduction across electricity, transport and the built environment,as set out in the National Policy Position adopted in April 2014;

- our position as a world leader in carbon efficient agriculture and sustainablefood production;

- our contributions to climate finance for developing countries, which have continued, despite our challenging economic and budgetary circumstances; and

- our commitment to working with all Parties towards a new and ambitious global agreement under the UNFCCC, beginning with the current discussion/negotiations in Lima and culminating in Paris in December 2015 .