Cement firm may challenge Govt’s greenhouse gas plan

A cement company is reportedly threatening legal action against the Government if it proceeds with its planned method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Government is hoping to control emissions by granting pollution allocations to large industries.

Any company that wants to produce more emissions will then have to buy an allocation from another firm under an international trading scheme.

The measure is designed to help Ireland honour its commitments to reducing emissions in the Kyoto Protocol.

However, reports this morning said Ecocem, a company that produces environmentally friendly cement, was planning to challenge the scheme in the courts.

The company has not received any pollution allocation because its production does not result in greenhouse gas emissions.

Ecocem is reportedly set to argue that its exclusion from the emissions scheme provides traditional cement producers with an effective state subsidy.