Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will confirm the status of Ireland’s membership of the Joint Taskforce on International Taxation, now known as the Global Solidarity Levies Taskforce; if so, if he will make a statement on the levies and taxation options identified, and report on progress on the envisaged narrowing down of options; if not, the rationale for leaving the task force that is now known as the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force; and if he will make a statement on the initiatives to ensure that new sources of climate finance based on tax justice and polluter pays principles are identified and agreed. [41533/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Joint Taskforce on International Taxation, now known as the Global Solidarity Levies Taskforce, was launched by France and Kenya, and joined by Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Spain at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) on 1 December 2023. The Taskforce is co-chaired by Kenya, Barbados and France and is supported by the European Climate Foundation.

Taskforce members include France, Kenya, Barbados, Spain, Colombia, Antigua and Barbuda, Senegal, Marshall Islands, and most recently Denmark, with a number of others including the African Union, European Commission and Germany participating as Observers.

Ireland was invited to join the Taskforce during COP28 and interest was expressed in the Taskforce and its objective to explore ways of mobilising new, additional, predictable and adequate financial resources – in addition to current commitments – to support developing and vulnerable countries’ transition to a climate neutral and biodiversity rich societies and economies, while addressing the adverse effects of climate change, including loss and damage. While Ireland has not joined the Taskforce, I attended its meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

The Taskforce is expected to provide an update on its work at COP29 and aims to finish its work by COP30. COP 29, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan this year, will be an important opportunity for the global community to consider policy options in relation to financing the global transition to carbon neutrality, in the context of the New Collective Quantified Goal which it is hoped will be agreed in Azerbaijan.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Minister for Finance has overall policy responsibility in relation to areas being considered by the Task Force, including fossil fuel, aviation or maritime levies