The Labour Party said the Irish taxpayer would bear the brunt of 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets unless the Government acted urgently to tackle our growing emissions.
Environment spokeswoman Joanne Tuffy argued that the Government's present strategy is to achieve our Kyoto targets by purchasing carbon credits. With even more onerous targets now facing the country by 2020 under European Commission proposals published yesterday, it would mean the carbon credits bill would increase substantially in the eight years between the end of Kyoto in 2012 and 2020.
"The approach of the Government seems to be, to blindly sign up to these climate change commitments, when the only way it appears to be setting out to meet them, is by using taxpayers money with no actual improvement to our environment or our infrastructure," said Ms Tuffy.
She pointed out that the latest figures for 2006 show that transport emissions were 160 per cent above 1990 levels.
Her party colleague, Liz McManus, welcomed the new plan from the commission and said the onus was now on the Government to make a clear statement as to how it intends to meet the targets.
Fine Gael MEP Avril Doyle also welcomed the new targets. "We are a long way from reaching this target. Our electricity systems require major investment to cater for wind, wave and other renewables, and it is estimated that an additional investment of over €650 million will be necessary to reinforce over 600km of the electricity transmission network. Corresponding investment required from private industry will be in the order of €9 billion."
Friends of the Earth director Oisín Coghlan expressed disappointment at the targets arguing that the overall EU commitment of a 20 per cent cut in emissions was not enough. He also described Ireland's 20 per cent target as ludicrous.
