Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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1298. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on Germany's request that accounting for managed wetlands be obligatory for EU member states for their 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets. [20858/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I refer to the reply to Question No. 300 of 6 April 2017.

Under the Paris Agreement, the EU has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels, and negotiations on how this should translate into efforts by individual Member States are ongoing. The Deputy is referring to a proposal made by Germany regarding the mandatory inclusion of wetlands by Member States in the context of this negotiation process.

As I have previously outlined, there is an absence of global experience in the tracking and reporting of climate mitigation measures associated with wetlands. Ireland presently accounts for mitigation action associated with wetlands falling within currently-reported land types and continues to carry out research which will support the understanding of carbon stock changes associated with peatlands and agricultural soils. This will feed into the development of a more robust inventory and underpin future accounting for mitigation action associated with wetlands.

I remain open to considering further work on the role of wetlands in the context of the National Mitigation Plan, building on the experience ​of research already undertaken.