Minister Naughten defends Government on climate change plans

Minister for Climate Action Denis Naughten has said he is “fully aware of the challenge” in meeting Ireland’s short-term emissions target.

However he said he is satisfied the right legislation is in place to mitigate climate change by 2050.

Mr Naughten was responding after the Environmental Protection Agency said Ireland would breach its greenhouse gas emission limits either this year or in 2017, and would not meet targets for 2020.

On Thursday the agency’s director general Laura Burke blamed the failure to separate economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions for the problem.

Draft plan

In a statement on Friday Mr Naughten acknowledged the agency’s climate change predictions, and said he was well aware of the “the extent of the challenge” they represent.

Nonetheless, he said he was “satisfied that the national legislative and policy framework” was in place “to advance actions on climate change mitigation”.

Mr Naughten said a policy position published in 2014 provided “direction for the adoption and implementation by Government of mitigation plans to enable the State to move to a low-carbon economy by 2050”.

He also cited the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 which he said gave “statutory authority” for mitigation plans.

Mr Naughten said a draft national mitigation plan should be available for public consultation by the end of the year followed by submission of a final plan to Government for approval by June 2017.