View PDF - Engineers Ireland Annual Conference 2015

Climate Change Progress and
Challenges
Linking Local, National &
International Issues
Dave Walsh
Assistant Secretary
Department of the Environment, Community and Local
Government
Outline
• International context – UNFCCC
• EU context
• Ireland
– emissions trends
– 2020 compliance and 2030 targets
• Climate Bill and related policies
• Local role – adaptation and mitigation
2 Degree Challenge
International Context - UNFCCC
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1992 – UNFCCC
Followed by Kyoto Protocol (KP) in 1997
Conference of the Parties (COP) meets annually
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Copenhagen (2009) – low-point
Durban COP (2011)
Doha COP (2012)
Warsaw COP (2013)
Lima COP (2014) – “Call for Climate Action”- INDC’s
Paris 2015 – COP21: “The Paris Protocol”??
The Cycle….
EU Context
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EU15 collectively signs up to KP1 - 1997
EU29 sign up to KP2 (2012)
Internal burden-sharing of effort required to ensure
targets are split equitably and efficiently
Effort Sharing Decision (2009)
Revised Emissions Trading Directive – ongoing
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Market Stability Reserve (restoring balance to ETS market)
Renewables Directive and Energy Efficiency
Other legislation, such as F-Gases; CO2 from cars
and vans; etc
EU Context
• Emissions declined 19% between 1990 – 2013
 GDP grew by 45% over same period
• 2020 Targets based on agreed Effort Sharing Decision
(ESD)
• EU Climate & Energy Framework 2030
• EU leaders agreed economy-wide target (Oct 2014)
 All sectors, all sources of emissions
 At least 40% - compared to 1990
 Agriculture, Forestry and other Land Uses (carbon sinks)
• Ambitious and Fair
 Cost efficient pathway to 80% reductions by 2050 (Roadmap)
Luxembourg
Estonia
Czech Republic
Germany
Netherlands
Finland
Belgium
Poland
Ireland
Cyprus
Greece
Austria
Slovenia
United Kingdom
EU15
EU28
Denmark
Malta
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Italy
Spain
France
Sweden
Portugal
Lithuania
Hungary
Croatia
Romania
Latvia
Carbon dioxide (t CO2) per person
Ireland….CO2 per person (2012)
20
15
10
5
0
Luxembourg
Estonia
Ireland
Czech Republic
Germany
Netherlands
Finland
Cyprus
Belgium
Poland
Greece
Austria
Denmark
Slovenia
United Kingdom
EU15
EU28
Bulgaria
Slovakia
Italy
Malta
France
Spain
Lithuania
Portugal
Hungary
Croatia
Liechtenstein
Sweden
Romania
Latvia
Greenhouse gas emissions (t CO2eq) per person
Ireland….GHG per person (2012)
20
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane (CH4)
Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
Fluorinated gases
15
10
5
0
Ireland….
National Emissions Profile 2012
Residential
10.6%
ETS
28.8%
Comm/Inst
3.6%
Transport
18.6%
Non ETS
71%
Agriculture
32.0%
Industry
4.4%
Energy
0.3%
Waste
1.7%
National Policy…
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National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012
Review in 2011
Publication of National Policy Position (April 2014)
 The low-carbon road-mapping process will be guided by a
long-term vision of low-carbon transition based on –
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an aggregate reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of at
least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 across the electricity
generation, built environment and transport sectors; and
in parallel, an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and
land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise
capacity for sustainable food production.
Outline Heads of Climate Bill (2013) – extensive consultation
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General Scheme of Bill – 2014
Climate Action and Low-Carbon Dev Bill published January 2015
Completed 2nd Stage – awaiting Committee Stage
Enactment by Summer?
Climate Bill…
Main Provisions of the Bill…
• Setting in place cross-Govt structures / systems
• Preparation of National Mitigation Plan – 5 yearly
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Agriculture
Energy
Transport
Built environment
• Preparation of National Adaptation Framework &
sectoral plans (12)
• Expert Advisory Council
Sectoral Adaptation Plans…
Sectoral Adaptation Plan
Water
Emergency Planning
Marine
Agriculture
Forestry
Biodiversity
Heritage
Transport
Energy
Communications
Flood Defence
Health
Current National Framework…
• Cabinet Committee – Economic Infrastructure &
Climate Change
• Senior Officials Groups
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Technical Working Groups
Research UCC/ESRI/UCD
National Steering Groups – Mitigation/Adaptation
Widespread consultations/inputs on draft Plans
(including on SEA/AA)
Transitional Challenge…
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Fiscal Rules
Starting Point – lost investment opportunity
Compliance Costs
Existing Policies/Measures
New Measures?
Alignment – Misalignment (OECD)?
Co-Benefits?
National Adaptation Framework – 2012
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Local Adaptation Plans
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Supporting communities –
delivery of services and
infrastructure
Incorporate adaptation
(and mitigation) into
Development Plans
Collect Evidence – raise
awareness
Role of LAs
Stakeholders –
Participatory Process
Guidelines?
Guidelines…
• At draft stage – to be published
shortly….
• Adaptation Team – Preparing
the Ground
• Baseline
• Identifying Future Risk
• Identifying, assessing and
prioritising options
• Developing pathways and
strategy
• Implementation, Monitoring
and evaluation …
Thank you …..
Questions?