Ireland could meet Kyoto targets by 2010

IRELAND could meet its Kyoto target to reduce its greenhouse gases by 2010, according to the latest report from the European Environment Agency.

But it will have to fulfil all its promises including spending €270 million to purchase 95% of its carbon credits from other countries, the report warns.

However, this policy will make it even more difficult for Ireland to achieve new targets by 2020, which will be central to next week’s UN discussions in Bali on global climate change.

Ireland has managed to improve the likelihood of achieving its Kyoto target of keeping its greenhouse gas emissions to 13% over 1990, according to the EEA report that is based on the Government’s figures.

They were removed from the list of countries unlikely to achieve their targets in the report leaving just Denmark, Spain and Italy likely to overshoot their targets.

Project officer on climate change with the EEA, Francois Dejean, said the Government’s would have to fulfil their commitments to reach the targets.

“It can be achieved provided the measures are taken and the projections they have provided are right,” he said.

The EU as a whole has agreed to a 20% to 30% reduction from 2012 to 2020 and to meet this older member states like Ireland may have to carry a larger share of the burden in future.