Gormley Outlines Carbon Budget

Last week, commenting on his second Carbon Budget, John Gormley T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government said that "the latest Environmental Protection Agency figures showed that, contrary to recent speculation, carbon emissions for 2007 were actually down 1% on the previous year.  This was welcome - but did not take away from the huge challenge ahead."

The Minister said that the Government had committed more resources to researching methods of tackling climate change. 

He said a cabinet sub-committee on Climate Change and Energy Security had been working well since its establishment last year.

The Minister was also encouraged that various efforts to improve building efficiency had huge potential to reduce emissions significantly. 

New building standards required that homes would be 60% better insulated by 2010 in comparison with 2005.

Mr Gormley added, "a full audit of public housing stock's energy efficiency would be undertaken next year.  A fund of €5m was provided for a pilot project in retrofitting insulation to existing council homes."

This would complement other schemes, being promoted by his colleague, Minister for Energy, Eamon Ryan, and which were worth a total of €45m. 

These include the €20m Home Energy Saving Scheme and the €10m Warmer Homes Scheme.

Early indications on changes to the car tax regime introduced in July of this year were also encouraging.

Figures for the first three months of the new system showed a strong trend towards lower-emission vehicles.  

Of the 42,000 cars that are now charged motor tax on the basis of emissions, 85% are in the 3 lowest bands.

The Minister said, "Ireland was still too dependent on private cars for transport and this was a huge source of carbon emissions." 

But again he was pleased to see that despite severe economic constraints, projects such as the Cork-Midleton commuter railway; the extension of the Luas lines in Dublin and preparatory work on Metro North will continue.

Mr Gormley also noted €5m had been made available to upgrade cycle paths in Dublin. 

A €200 flat rate car parking levy for urban workers was complemented by a tax incentive for employers helping workers to cycle to work.

Further progress was also being made on providing greener energy according to the Minister. 

The Government had recently agreed, on Minister Ryan's proposal, to increase to 40% target for electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and plans by Eirgrid were encouraging.

But the Minister stressed the challenges remained enormous and progress would be shown more over time rather than in the short-term. 

He said the central role of cattle farming to Irish agriculture posed particular challenges which must be met.

The Department of Agriculture was currently engaged in research on this topic.  Early indications were that progress can be made.

The Minister said the issues surrounding climate change also offered big opportunities for Irish business and job creation in a world economy now increasingly open to 'green' enterprise. 

The green global sector was currently estimated at €284bn and the Irish Government's work was increasingly focused on how these opportunities can be harnessed.

A new high-level Action Group will shortly be appointed and given four months to report to the Government on how best to approach this. 

Their work would look at Research and Development, education and training and other issues.

At the same time the State itself - which is a huge buyer of goods and services each year - must take a hand in promoting the green economy. 

The Government will consider how to take more account of environmental concerns in purchasing goods and services and thus help the green economy.

The Minister said: "I do not underestimate the scale of the environmental challenges we face, nor am I under any illusion about the uphill struggle we have in tackling our green house gas emissions.

"The modest steps we are taking, which are undoubtedly an improvement on what has gone before, will not be enough to achieve the type of emission reductions we require. 

"We need to be much more radical.  The introduction of a carbon levy next year will be an important step, but it is only one step in what has to be a fundamental multi-faceted approach, involving all departments playing their part."