1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Targets
Joint Oireactas Committee
Communications, Climate Change and Natural Resources
EPA
Dara Lynott, Tom Ryan Stephen Treacy
25th October 2016

2. EPA role in relation to Greenhouse Gases
The compilation and provision of annual reports of Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by sector
The development and provision of National Emissions Projections taking into account national climate change mitigation policies and measures
Implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) – Permitting, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification
Union Registry Management, Credit Auction Monitoring
Secretariat to the Climate Council and support for climate change research

3. Collaborative approach

4. Greenhouse Gases

5. Greenhouse Gas Sectoral Contributions
1990
2014

6. Total Greenhouse Emissions – non-ETS and ETS

7. Non-ETS Emissions Trajectory to 2020

8. Projected cumulative distance to Target for Non-ETS Sector 2013-2020

9. Challenges Post 2020 for non-ETS
EU Climate Energy Framework sets targets to cut emissions in EU Territory by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030
New ESR proposal for the Non-ETS sectors to be agreed for years – proposal for Ireland to reduce emissions by 30% below 2005 by 2030
New flexibilities potentially available in terms of GHG accounting and compliance in the new proposal:
Use of credits from carbon sinks – LULUCF (capped at 5.6% of 2005 emissions)
Use of EU ETS allowances (capped at 4% of 2005 emissions)

10. LULUCF? Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry
Forests and agricultural lands currently cover more than three-quarters of the EU's territory
Hold large stocks of carbon, preventing its escape into the atmosphere.
Draining of peat land, felling of forest or ploughing up grassland generates emissions
Actions such as afforestation or conversion of arable land into grassland can protect carbon stocks or result in carbon sequestration.
Land use and forestry – which include our use of soils, trees, plants, biomass and timber – can thus contribute to a robust climate policy.

11. Closing Comments
Under current projections, Ireland will likely not meet 2020 targets (even under cumulative mechanism & with additional measures)
Economic recovery evident in emissions from transport and certain industrial sectors – increases the challenge
Significant challenge to meet EU2030 and National 2050 targets
Thank you