EPA report shows extent of Ireland's climate change challenge

The Minister said, "[The] figures are a wake up call to all of us.  Our national greenhouse gas emissions are increasing and widening the gap to our Kyoto Protocol target, as well as building up a far greater and more costly problem for Ireland in the longer term.

"The figures ... show the enormity of the challenge we all face in meeting our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

"Next month I will publish the carbon budget which puts the challenge of tackling climate change at the heart of Government policy.

"The carbon budget now and into the future has an integral part to play in assisting us in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions."

The Government is determined to introduce further emission-reduction measures rather than to rely on the easy option of purchasing carbon credits to deal with the increased gap. 

The Minister said "buying carbon credits is a short-term fix.  It's like living off an overdraft or paying interest on a loan without paying off any of the capital. 

"They do nothing to addressing the underlying need to lower the carbon intensity of the economy. 

"That is the ultimate objective," he said, "and failure to tackle our emissions now will only back up and increase the problem in the future. 

"That is not in our longer-term interest and we must find new measures in addition to those already implemented. 

"The success of our recent changes to VRT and motor tax show that, if we bring forward good measures, the public will respond."

Emphasising the seriousness of the situation, Minister Gormley pointed out that "the is only the first step in the comprehensive international response necessary to combat climate change.  If we can't take that first step, what hope have we of making the transition to a low-carbon economy and pursuing the potential arising from the anticipated growth in global demand for low-carbon technologies."

Concluding, Minister Gormley noted that while many initiatives will lower national emissions in the longer term, such as the introduction of renewable energy technologies, the immediate priority is compliance with the Kyoto Protocol.