Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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130. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the measures that he is taking to reduce aviation pollution and improve air-quality in Ireland’s airspace; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25736/22]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Aviation Emissions are an international problem and require an international solution, and Ireland’s policy in this area is derived from measures being pursued both at EU level and globally by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). These measures generally stem from ICAO’s ‘basket of measures’ which has four pillars comprising market-based measures, sustainable aviation fuels, aircraft technology, and operational efficiencies.

CO2 emissions from aviation have been included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) since 2012. This requires aircraft operators within the European Economic Area (EEA) to monitor, report and verify their emissions, and to surrender allowances against those emissions. As the number of allowances is capped, airlines are required to either reduce emissions or purchase emissions credits.

As part of the Fit for 55 legislative package, officials from EU Member States, including Ireland, are currently discussing the Revision of the ETS for Aviation at the Council of Europe’s Environmental Working Party. This proposes phasing out the free allowances granted to airlines by 2027 and will integrate, as appropriate, the ETS and the global Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The EU ETS for Aviation has already contributed to reducing the sector’s carbon footprint by more than 17million tonnes per annum and the tightening of the system will further incentivise aircraft operators to reduce their emissions or face increasing costs under the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

CORSIA will require aircraft operators to offset CO2 emissions from international civil aviation which are above 2019 levels. All EU Member States, including Ireland, have volunteered to participate in CORSIA from the Pilot Phase onwards (2021 – 2026). The countries that have volunteered so far cover just under 80% of all international aviation. Under the current proposal, the ETS will continue to apply to intra-EU flights and CORSIA will apply to flights between the EU and third countries participating in CORSIA. Between the ETS and CORSIA, the vast majority of commercial flights to and from Ireland over the coming years will have their emissions accounted for by way of ETS allowances or through ICAO approved offsets.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are renewable or waste-derived aviation fuels that have the potential to substantially reduce overall CO2 lifecycle emissions by up to 80% when compared to fossil fuels. These fuels can be used as a drop-in fuel within the existing global fleet and fuel supply infrastructure. SAF can be produced from chemical processes using various feedstocks, both biological (e.g. Agricultural/forestry residues or Used Cooking Oil) and Synthetic (e.g. Green Hydrogen).

Along with their European colleagues in the Aviation Working Party, officials from my Department have been working on the introduction of the RefuelEU Aviation initiative, a directly applicable Regulation that proposes the introduction of SAF mandates on fuel suppliers. This would be on an increasing scale from 2% in 2025 to 63% in 2050. This also includes a synthetic or e-fuel sub-mandate starting at 0.7% in 2030 and rising to 28% in 2050. At national level, work is also ongoing on ascertaining Ireland’s biofuel needs and resources and potential for Green Hydrogen generation.

Although Ireland does not have an indigenous aerospace sector and is generally a ‘technology taker’, Irish airlines have invested heavily in newer fuel-efficient aircraft over recent years. New engine technologies, lightweight seats, and improved winglets all significantly improve the environmental performance of aircraft compared to earlier models. Highly efficient new aircraft have the potential to significantly reduce the amount of fuel burn. Data also shows that Irish airlines operate with relatively high passenger load factors meaning carbon emissions, on a per passenger basis, measure favourably when compared with other airlines in Europe.

Aviation emissions can also be reduced through operational improvements such as enhanced air traffic management. The Single European Sky (SES) is an initiative that aims to de-fragment European Air Traffic Management by centralising and harmonising operations across the EU. While not part of the Fit for 55 package, the current proposed reform has the potential to achieve a 10% reduction in European aviation emissions and officials from the Department of Transport continue to lobby for its reform in Brussels.

Ireland’s Air Navigation Services Provider, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is engaged in various operational initiatives to improve air traffic flows en-route, cross-border and in the vicinity of airports. Several of these measures such as Continuous Decent Approaches (CDA) and Reduced Departure Intervals (RDI) lead to increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions from aircraft.

Dublin, Shannon, and Cork airports are participants in the Airport Council International’s Carbon Accreditation Programme. This carbon management certification programme independently assesses the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon footprint and provides a framework for continual improvement through varying levels of certification. Dublin Airport has been formally designated as carbon neutral Level 3+ under the programme, while Cork and Shannon have been designated Level 2 and Level 1 respectively.

Finally, the monitoring of ambient air (the air breathed at ground level) is primarily the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).