Govt aims to cut greenhouse gases by 10% in one year
The Government wants to slash harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in just one year to help meet tough EU targets, it was revealed today.
With just over a month to go until a crucial international climate change conference in Denmark, a new website has been unveiled advising people how to cut their carbon footprint.
The European Union has already agreed to reduce emissions by a fifth by 2020 and up to 95% by 2050.
Environment Minister John Gormley claimed the level of change needed to meet the radical targets was almost inconceivable.
“The sort of change that is required now is I think for most people incomprehensible,” he said.
“It would mean huge reductions in greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors.
“Be it in the areas of transport, agriculture. These are going to be very onerous targets indeed, but also very necessary.”
A report from the Environmental Protection Agency revealed air temperature has jumped 0.7% since 1890, with a 0.4% hike between 1980 and 2008 alone.
A Summary Of The State Of Knowledge On Climate Change Impacts For Ireland also showed a significant increase in the amount of rain in the north and west, with wetter winters in the west and drier summers in the southeast predicted.
The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen takes place between December 7 and 18 to hammer out a new international deal on carbon emissions for 2012, after the Kyoto protocol expires.
The new website www.1010.ie calls on everybody to sign a pledge supporting the Government’s efforts to secure a deal in Copenhagen and encourages the public to slash their CO2 emissions.
A special Oireachtas committee yesterday unveiled legislation shifting the onus for tackling global warming on to Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The new laws would make the Taoiseach and his successors answerable to the Dail on what progress Ireland was making to slash its greenhouse gas emissions.
Mr Gormley said he had not read the proposals but vowed climate change legislation would be introduced by the Government.
