Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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430. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether the draft national mitigation plan due to be presented represents Ireland's fair share, based on GNI and carbon emissions per capita, of a global pathway with a reasonable likelihood of remaining well below 2°C, aiming for 1.5°C, in view of current climate impacts causing 17 million persons in southern Africa to be in need of food aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38640/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The extent of the challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with our EU and international commitments, is well understood by the Government, as reflected in the National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development, published in April 2014, and now underpinned by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015, which was enacted in December 2015. The National Policy Position provides a high-level policy direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of plans to enable the State to move to a low carbon economy by 2050. Statutory authority for the plans is set out in the Act.

Work is well underway on the development of the first statutory National Mitigation Plan (NMP), required under Section 4 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, 2015. The primary objective of the first NMP is to track implementation of measures already underway, identify additional measures in the longer term to reduce GHG emissions, and progress the overall national low carbon transition agenda to 2050. The first iteration of the NMP will place particular focus on putting the necessary measures in place to address the challenge to 2020, but also in terms of planning ahead to ensure that appropriate policies and measures can be put in place beyond this date and out to 2030.

The first NMP is being developed having regard to the low carbon transition vision set out in the National Policy Position, Ireland’s obligations under the current Effort Sharing Decision No 406/2009/EC, the Paris Agreement, and any likely future EU and international obligations that may arise, including new national targets to be agreed under the 2030 Climate and Energy Package. A key part of developing the NMP has been the preparation of appropriate technical, environmental and economic analysis to inform the decision-making process as to what should be included in the plan. These analyses are still on-going as part of the iterative approach to the development of the plan.

Specifically in relation to Ireland's response to the global challenge of climate change, this is driven by the Paris Agreement which entered into force on 4th November 2016. Ireland signed the Agreement in April of this year and completed the ratification process last month. The Agreement aims to tackle 95% of global emissions through 188 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). At COP21 in Paris, the Taoiseach announced that Ireland will provide at least €175 million in public funding to climate finance, mainly for adaptation in developing countries by 2020. Ireland is also making a €2m contribution to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) this year with further contributions to follow in 2017 and subsequent years.

Ireland will contribute to the emission-reduction objectives of the Paris Agreement via the NDC tabled by the EU on behalf of its Member States which commits to 40% reduction in EU-wide emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The specific details of the contribution to this 40% to be made by each Member State in respect of the non-ETS sector was the subject of a European Commission proposal published in July 2016. The full implications of this proposal from a domestic perspective are currently being examined, with Ireland being ambitious to make a contribution that is technically feasible, cost-effective and fair in terms of sharing the low carbon transition effort among Member States.