Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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220. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the context of the recent International Tribunal for the Law Of the Sea advisory opinion, what necessary measures to prevent, reduce and control marine pollution from anthropogenic GHG emissions are being taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8091/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) advisory opinion highlights the obligation of States “to take necessary measures to prevent, reduce and control marine pollution.” Ireland for its part since 2024 has managed Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) from maritime transport through the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS).

The EU ETS is a ‘cap-and-trade’ system. The cap is a threshold, defining the total amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted by the relevant operators. It is reduced annually, at fixed intervals, in line with the EU’s climate target. The system allows flexibility for operators to cut their emissions in the most cost-effective way. They are incentivised to reduce their emissions, through energy efficiency, low-carbon solutions, and reductions through the use of alternative low carbon fuels. Alternatively, they can trade and buy allowances on the market, in effect paying for others to make those efficiencies at the lowest marginal cost.

S.I. No. 472/2024 - European Union (Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Maritime Transport) Regulations 2024 transposed this into Irish law. The Environmental Protection Agency is designated as the competent and administering authority for EU ETS for Maritime Transport.