Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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239. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps taken to achieve emission reduction targets to date; the extent to which he can minimise the impact in food production related employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35409/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In relation to Ireland's existing 2030 EU target to reduce greenhouse gases in the non-Emissions Trading System sector by 30%, the Climate Action Plan 2019 sets out the policies and measures to achieve this. A range of key actions have been delivered to achieve emission reduction targets for Ireland. Key actions delivered include: Publication of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020

Approval of the results of the first renewable electricity auction by Government in September 2020, consisting of 497MW of onshore wind energy projects and 796MW of solar energy projects

Provision in Budget 2021 of €221.5 million in capital funding for residential and community retrofit programmes next year to be funded by my Department. This represents an additional €100 million, or an 82% increase, on the 2020 allocation, and is the largest amount ever provided in the Budget for these schemes

Launch of a Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy

The passage of legislation, which guarantees income over the next 7 years of at least €500million to the Climate Action Fund

Publication of the Just Transition Commissioners Progress Report and the launch of a Just Transition Fund call

The European Commission has just presented its plan to increase its ambition to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, from its existing target of 40% to at least 55%, compared to 1990 levels. This level of ambition for the next decade will put the EU on a balanced pathway to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. It is intended that the 2030 target will be enshrined in the EU Climate Law. Legislative proposals to implement the new EU 2030 target will be presented by June 2021, and additional effort will be asked of all Member States, including Ireland.

These developments at EU level, along with the step change in climate ambition set out in the Programme for Government, will need to be reflected appropriately in the next iteration of the Climate Action Plan. This will be challenging and will require fundamental changes in all parts of Irish life, but I believe Ireland can and will rise to the challenge. In setting out on this transformation of our society, the Government is committed to working with communities and sectors in designing and delivering a pathway to decarbonisation that is fair.

Far reaching policy changes will be developed across every sector, including agriculture:

- Building on Ireland's relative carbon efficiency in food production and ensuring the delivery of the measures identified by Teagasc to the fullest extent possible.

- Transforming the scale of organic farming, with delivery of a fair price for farmers at its heart.

- Developing a new strategy to expand afforestation, particularly Close to Nature Forestry and agro-forestry.

- Rapidly evaluating the potential role of sustainable bioenergy.

- Introducing a transformational programme of research and development, to ensure Ireland is at the cutting edge of scientific and technological innovation, including in: the bioeconomy; marine sequestration; improving agriculture breeding programmes; feed additives to reduce biogenic methane; agroforestry, paludiculture; and nutrient management.

Land-use offers significant potential to sequester additional carbon and provide a new source of family farm income and rural economic benefit. While the achievement of such improvements is not addressed in current EU policy, the Programme for Government commits to seeking to incentivise land use in the European Green Deal and broader EU policy. It also commits to evaluating, within 24 months, the potential contributions towards our climate ambition from land-use improvements and set in train the development of a land-use plan, based on these findings.

It is important that the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) protects farm incomes and sectoral supports consistent these objectives, and the National Economic Plan frontloads investment that is directly aligned with our climate ambition. The Programme for Government has also committed to allocating €1.5 billion, of the hypothecated additional carbon tax revenue, to a REPS-2 programme to encourage and incentivise farmers to farm in a greener and more sustainable way. This funding will be additional to funding from the CAP. It will include incentives to plant native forestry and to enhance and support biodiversity.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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240. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which he has had discussions with employer or employee groups with a view to achieving reduced commuter traffic and thereby helping to achieve carbon reduction targets without loss of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35411/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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This Government is committed to a programme of climate action that is essential if we are to address the climate crisis that threatens our safe future on this planet.  The Programme for Government commits to an average 7% per annum reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the next ten years.  This step-change in ambition will be challenging and require fundamental changes in so many parts of Irish life, but I believe that Ireland can and will rise to this challenge. In doing so we will be able to improve the health, welfare and security of all our people. The next iteration of the Climate Action Plan will identify and set out the far reaching policy changes across every sector to deliver these emissions reductions.

In particular, the Programme for Government includes a number of commitments that will help to promote a transition to active mobility where members of the workforce are encouraged to walk, cycle or take public transport to work, and which will help commuter road traffic and assist in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. These include:

- accelerating the electrification of the transport system, including electric bikes, electric vehicles, and electric public transport;

- developing a strategy for remote working and remote service delivery, taking advantage of the opportunity for a rapid roll-out of the National Broadband Plan;

- ensuring an unprecedented modal shift in all areas by a reorientation of investment to walking, cycling and public transport; and

- developing a new Sustainable Rural Mobility Plan.

In 2019 the then Government launched Future Jobs Ireland. One of the pillars of that policy is the transition to a low carbon economy. Increasing the capacity and opportunity to work remotely was considered key to the implementation of the low carbon pillar.  Subsequently, in December 2019 the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation published Remote Work in Ireland, a report on how flexible working options, including remote working, could benefit the economy as a whole. In addition, in July 2020, the Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation launched a public consultation on remote working, the findings of which are available on https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Workplace-and-Skills/Remote-Working/. 

As part of the development of an updated Climate Action Plan, I propose to launch a public consultation and call for evidence in the coming weeks. I would welcome input to this process from employer groups on the matters raised by the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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241. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which Ireland compares with each other member state of the European Union in meeting carbon reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35412/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Emissions from large industry in Ireland are regulated through the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The EU ETS works on the 'cap and trade' principle. A cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted by installations covered by the system. The cap is reduced over time so that total emissions fall. The 2020 target in the EU ETS is an EU-wide one, requiring emissions from the sector to be cut by 21% from 2005 levels. The EU is on track to surpass this target. The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision 406/2009/EC (ESD) set binding annual emissions targets for Member States for the period 2013-2020 for sectors outside the EU Emissions Trading System. According to the latest European Environment Agency Report, ten Member States (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta and Poland) are projected to miss their 2020 ESD target. The latest projections of greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland, developed by the Environmental Protection Agency in July 2020, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by Ireland's 2020 target could be around 2-4% below 2005 levels by 2020, compared to our target of a 20% reduction below 2005 levels.

The ESD allows Member States to meet their targets by means of unused emissions allowances from earlier years, or through purchasing allowances from other Member States, or on international markets. Ireland expects to make use of banked allowances from earlier years and purchase additional credits on international markets in order to comply with the ESD.