EPA - Ireland's Environment 2016 - An Assessment

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Ireland’s Environment – An Assessment 2016 42
EU Climate and Energy Package
An Effective Suite of Policies to Address Climate
Change is Essential.
The EU is a global leader of actions to address climate
change. It is committed to reduce its collective emissions
of GHGs by at least 40% relative to 1990 levels by 2030.
The 2020 Climate and Energy Package aims to achieve a
20% reduction in total GHG emissions relative to 1990
levels. The required mitigation actions are advanced under
two tracks:
n Emissions from large industrial sources such as electrical
power generation sources are addressed at an EU level
under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)
n Emissions from other activities, including transport
agriculture, heating and waste, are addressed at a
Member State level under the Effort Sharing Decision.
The Effort Sharing Decision targets for non-ETS GHG
emissions are set at Member State level and, to achieve
them, Ireland must reduce emissions of a basket of GHGs
(including from Agriculture, Transport, Residential and
Waste sectors) by 20% relative to 2005 levels over the
period 2013–2020. Member State emissions reductions
for the period 2021–2030 were announced in July
2016 and included a 30% reduction target for non-ETS
emissions (relative to 2005).7 The new proposal also
includes a provision where Member States who have a
large proportion of their emissions from the Agriculture
sector can utilise additional flexibilities towards meeting
the overall 30% target, in particular removals of carbon
through Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry. For
activities covered by the EU ETS, emission caps for the
period 2013–2020 will decrease by 1.74% annually.
However, as part of a series of measures to address
perceived weaknesses in the EU ETS, it has been agreed
to increase the annual reduction cap from 1.74% to
2.2% from 2021. This will ensure that these emissions are
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reduced by 43% relative to 2005 by 2030. Other reforms
to address the trading scheme carbon price and to support
low-carbon innovation and energy sector modernisation
were also agreed in 2015. Additional steps to accelerate
decarbonisation of electricity, such as introducing a
minimum price in the EU ETS, have been proposed by
some Member States and promoted by Ireland’s Climate
Change Advisory Council. 8 Ireland has linked targets under
the UN Kyoto Protocol. Removals associated with forestry
and other land uses are included in this target.
Adaptation Action at the
EU Level
Enhancing resilience through adaptation.
The EU Strategy On Adaptation To Climate Change aims to
make Europe more climate resilient by taking a coherent
pan-European approach and complementing the activities
of Member States; it promotes:
n action by Member States
n better informed decision making
n climate-proofing common EU action: promoting
adaptation in key vulnerable sectors.
The EU strategy notes that ‘adaptation actions include
mainstreaming of climate change (mitigation and
adaptation) into EU sector policies and funds, including
marine and inland water issues, forestry, agriculture,
biodiversity, infrastructure and buildings, but also
migration and social issues’. This cross policy dimension
represents a significant governance challenge for the EU as
well as down to nation, regional and local implementation
levels. The EU Climate-Adapt web resource 9 is intended to
supply information sharing, knowledge, and tools to assist
adaptation actions across the EU.
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