Eamon Ryan: Every sector of society could be asked to make a greater emissions cut

Eamon Ryan said that the savings from land use change will not be known until 2024. Picture: Maxwells

Every sector of Irish life could be asked to cut emissions above what has been previously announced, the Environment Minister has said.

Eamon Ryan was speaking at the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee about sectoral emissions targets, announced in July after months of negotiation among ministers. 

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While those targets set out what could be expected of each sector, a total of 5.25 megatonnes of CO2 emissions to be cut was left unallocated pending a review of how much land use and forestry contribute to overall emissions.

Mr Ryan defended that decision to the committee, saying it was based on scientific information which came to his department late in the process. It will mean that the savings from land use change will not be known until 2024.

"The change of information was quite late in the day, in mid-summer in the midst of us developing the sectoral emissions ceilings. It was absolutely appropriate in those circumstances not to rush through, or to try and conclude on that scientific evidence as to what the measures or what the quantity of further emissions reductions or further reducing the source of emissions from the land use sector."

Mr Ryan said the Government's approach was better than "just pretending" to have a solution, but said the binding targets of every sector could be adjusted.

“In terms of the further adjustments to the budgets, the re-allocations, every sector potentially will have to or could play a part in that.

“It does require us to have an understanding to complete the land-use review, because that’ll give us a better idea of what the quantum is in that particular sector and then we’ll have a better idea of what is potentially required elsewhere.”

Lack of information

During the hearing, Sinn Féin's climate spokesman Darren O'Rourke criticised what he said is a lack of information being made available to opposition politicians. 

He said that a report compiled for the Government by consultants McKinsey on the benefits and drawbacks of different methods of cutting emissions has yet to be circulated.

"Political parties will launch alternative budgets next week. They will be with confirmed data from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Finance. We do not have the same facility for emissions reductions," he said.

A reduction rate of 37-58% was proposed for the land use and forestry sector in the Climate Action Plan, but the exact target was not mentioned in the Government’s announcement in July. 

A reduction rate of 75% was set for the electricity sector out of a range of 62-81%, with a maximum cut of 50% chosen for transport, out of a range of 42-50%.