Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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160. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which meeting carbon reduction targets continues; if it is in line with or ahead of expectations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44357/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The 2009 Effort Sharing Decision 406/2009/EC (ESD) set annual binding emission reduction targets for EU Member States for the period 2013 to 2020. These targets cover emissions from sectors outside of the EU Emissions Trading System, such as agriculture, transport, buildings and waste. For the year 2020 itself, the target set for Ireland is that emissions should be 20% below their value in 2005.  The Effort Sharing Decision 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.

The latest projections of greenhouse gas emissions, published in June 2021 by the EPA, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by the ESD could remain around 7% below 2005 levels by 2020. According to this report, Ireland will cumulatively exceed the carbon budget implied by our ESD targets by 12.2 Mt CO2 eq.,and we will need to avail of flexibilities in order to comply with our obligations. Pre-Covid estimates of the additional costs of purchasing carbon credits for compliance with these targets were in the region of €6 million to €13 million, depending on the price and final quantity of allowances required. However, due to the reduction in the amount of required credits to be purchased, and changes in CER prices in the market, this figure is likely to be significantly lower than the €6 million lower end of the range.

The EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) sets binding emission reduction targets for Member States for the period 2021-2030. The final agreement sets Ireland a target of 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. However, it is important to note that this target will be amended following the European Council’s decision to increase ambition from its existing EU-wide 2030 target of a 40% reduction to at least 55%, compared to 1990 levels. Legislative proposals to implement the new EU 2030 target, including revising Member States’ annual targets from 2021-2030, were presented by the European Commission in July 2021. The proposed new target for Ireland is a 42% reduction in emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.

I am finalising the Climate Action Plan 2021 which will bring forward policies and measures to support the delivery of the Programme for Government commitment to achieve a 51% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, and put us on a pathway to climate neutrality no later than 2050.