Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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442. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which he expects to meet carbon reduction targets in the time given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38862/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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445. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his priorities in respect of climate action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38878/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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446. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his proposals for reducing our carbon footprint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38879/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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451. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the measures his Department has taken to reduce the carbon footprint in the past year and any discussion he has had with his European colleagues in reducing same on a European level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38875/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 442, 445, 446 and 451 together.

Climate-action related work is progressing in the context of:

- the high-level National Policy Position (2014) to pursue the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050;

- the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, which provides for the development and submission to Government of national mitigation plans and national adaptation frameworks in order to pursue the national transition objective; and

- our international and EU obligations.

In relation to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction, Ireland has a target for each year between 2013 and 2020 under the 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). For the year 2020, the target set is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005. This is  the most demanding 2020 target allocated under the ESD, and one shared only by Denmark and Luxembourg. The target for each of the years 2014 through 2019 is on a straight-line trajectory between the targets for 2013 and 2020, and surpluses in one year can be used to cover deficits in any subsequent year. The average incidence of these targets is a 12% reduction relative to 2005.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that emissions for 2015 are estimated at 59.84 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent, which is 3.7% higher than emissions in 2014. According to the EPA, these figures indicate that Ireland will be in compliance with its 2015 annual limit set under the ESD. However, the Agency has cautioned that the 2015 emissions data suggests that achievement of our long-term mitigation goals will be difficult. Moreover, the most recent EPA projections (March 2016) indicate that emissions for 2020 could be in the range of 6% to 11% below 2005 levels depending on whether or not additional policies and measures, beyond those already in place by the end of 2014, are implemented.

At international level, Ireland will contribute to the 2015 Paris Agreement via the Nationally Determined Contribution tabled by the EU in March 2015 on behalf of Member States, which commits to at least a 40% reduction in EU-wide emissions by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels). This is based on reductions in the ETS and non-ETS sectors of 43% and 30% respectively. The specific details of Ireland’s contribution to this overall EU 30% reduction in the non-ETS sector, as well as the contributions to be made by other Member States, are the subject of negotiations between the EU and Member States in the context of the European Commission Effort Sharing RegulationProposal, which was published on the 20 July 2016. The outcome of these deliberations will determine Ireland’s contribution, which needs to reflect a level of ambition that is technically feasible, cost-effective and fair, to the overall EU 2030 effort.

In terms of putting in place the first of a series of plans to manage our transition to a low carbon economy and to meet our international and EU targets, a national mitigation plan will be submitted to Government for approval by June 2017 in accordance with the 2015 Act. The preparation of the plan is designed to be a ‘whole-of-government’approach to tackle emissions and each Minister with responsibility for the largest emitting sectors has been requested by Government to develop sectorial mitigation measures. The primary objective of the mitigation plan, when finalised, will be to track implementation of measures already underway and identify additional actions in the longer term to reduce emissions and progress the overall transition agenda to 2050. In advance of the statutory consultation on a draft mitigation plan, which will take place in Spring 2017, I intend to publish a document shortly for an initial non-statutory public consultation. The outcomes of the consultations will inform the preparation of the final National Mitigation Plan.

Mirroring the mitigation effort, the 2015 Act also provides for the making and submission to Government of iterative national adaptation frameworks which will specify the national strategy for the application of adaptation measures in different sectors, and by local authorities, in order to reduce the vulnerability of the State to the negative effects of climate change and to exploit any beneficial opportunities that may arise. Work is progressing in relation to the first national framework, which must be submitted to Government for approval no later than 10 December 2017.

While the extent of the challenge presented by climate change, and the scale of the transformation required if Ireland is to move to a low carbon and climate resilient economy, are evident, there is a clear and long-term global and national climate change policy direction in place, supported by a well-defined national statutory framework. Work is progressing to convert this policy ambition into actions to bring about the transformation required if we are to decarbonise our economy and build resilience to the inevitable impacts of global warming.