The Government's target to cut carbon emissions by 3 per cent per annum between 2007 and 2012 is "bizarre", inappropriate and should be abandoned, economists from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) said in Kenmare.
ESRI economists Colm McCarthy and Sue Scott told the Dublin Economic Workshop that a carbon tax of €20 per tonne would be a much more efficient way of reducing carbon emissions because it does not favour any one type of energy-producing technology.
A carbon tax set at this rate would add approximately 5 cent to a litre of petrol, which they said was "hardly punitive".
"The real inconvenient truth in climate policy is that, one way or another, the price of carbon must rise," they said in a paper presented to the conference on controlling the economic cost of climate policy.
A universal carbon tax, where everyone pays the same price for each unit of damage they do, would be fairer than setting specific reduction targets, Mr McCarthy said. Ideally, this tax would be introduced gradually, starting at a rate of €5 per tonne.
He also called for a comprehensive economic study to examine the cost of the Republic's ban on nuclear energy, and questioned the economic rationale behind the Government's target to source 33 per cent of power from renewable energy by 2020, which will require a sharp increase in wind penetration.
Ms Scott said carbon emissions should be reduced in the most economically-efficient manner but not enough attention had been paid to these costs.
Tax breaks on biofuels, which risk pushing up food prices by encouraging farmers to use land to produce alternative energy instead of food, are "a very good example of what you end up with if you don't do any economic analysis".
Laura Slattery
The Irish Times
Showing posts with label carbon emissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carbon emissions. Show all posts
Monday, 15 October 2007
Monday, 26 February 2007
140% rise in Irish transport gas emissions
GREENHOUSE gas emissions from transport in Ireland jumped 140% in 14 years, the second highest in the EU where the average increase was 25%.
The European Environmental Agency has warned that this massive increase will make it very difficult for Europe to meet its Kyoto commitments to reduce CO2 by an average of 8% below 1990 levels by 2012.
The report comes ahead of the EU summit in Brussels next week when the Taoiseach and other EU leaders are expected to pledge to reduce emissions by a further 20% — 30% by 2020.
Ireland blames the country’s rapid economic growth for the increase in emissions over the past decade that saw the number of car owners grow dramatically.
Transport is now responsible for a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU 15 with road transport emitting most of this. But emissions from aviation are growing even faster and increased by 86% between 1990 and 2004.
Luxembourg topped Europe’s transport emissions league with an increase over the 14 years of 156% followed by Ireland with 140%, said the Copenhagen-based agency.
The increase was harshly criticised by the Green party. Transport spokesperson Eamon Ryan said: “As long as the urban sprawl goes unchecked, as long as people are forced to use private transport to travel to basic community facilities, and long as investment in transport remains so disproportionately in favour of roads, it is inevitable that our emissions will continue to rise”.
Many other countries have managed to cut their emissions but Ireland’s level has increased to 28% over the 1990 level. It promised to reduce it to 13% over the 1990 level by 2012.
The report said that all countries would find it difficult to achieve its targets and that new measures need to be taken.
The legislation to force car manufacturers to make cleaner cars announced by the EU earlier this month may not be enough, the European Environment Agency head, Jacqueline McGlade warned.
Ann Cahill
© Irish Examiner
The European Environmental Agency has warned that this massive increase will make it very difficult for Europe to meet its Kyoto commitments to reduce CO2 by an average of 8% below 1990 levels by 2012.
The report comes ahead of the EU summit in Brussels next week when the Taoiseach and other EU leaders are expected to pledge to reduce emissions by a further 20% — 30% by 2020.
Ireland blames the country’s rapid economic growth for the increase in emissions over the past decade that saw the number of car owners grow dramatically.
Transport is now responsible for a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU 15 with road transport emitting most of this. But emissions from aviation are growing even faster and increased by 86% between 1990 and 2004.
Luxembourg topped Europe’s transport emissions league with an increase over the 14 years of 156% followed by Ireland with 140%, said the Copenhagen-based agency.
The increase was harshly criticised by the Green party. Transport spokesperson Eamon Ryan said: “As long as the urban sprawl goes unchecked, as long as people are forced to use private transport to travel to basic community facilities, and long as investment in transport remains so disproportionately in favour of roads, it is inevitable that our emissions will continue to rise”.
Many other countries have managed to cut their emissions but Ireland’s level has increased to 28% over the 1990 level. It promised to reduce it to 13% over the 1990 level by 2012.
The report said that all countries would find it difficult to achieve its targets and that new measures need to be taken.
The legislation to force car manufacturers to make cleaner cars announced by the EU earlier this month may not be enough, the European Environment Agency head, Jacqueline McGlade warned.
Ann Cahill
© Irish Examiner
Saturday, 17 February 2007
EPA calls for measures to tackle emissions
This from Liam Reid writing in the Irish Times:
The director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Mary Kelly has called for new measures to be introduced to tackle Ireland's greenhouse gas problem, after new figures showed that emissions have surged by more than 1.3 million tonnes.
Figures released this morning by the agency show that in 2005 emissions grew by 1.9 per cent to just under 70 million tonnes, reversing the declining trend of recent years.
They now stand at 25.4 per cent above 1990 levels, more than 12 percentage points above Ireland's legally-binding Kyoto target of 13 per cent above 1990 levels.
The increase was largely caused by a jump of nearly 7 per cent in emissions from the transport sector, while the reopening of two peat-fired power stations also contributed to the rise.
It is the first time in more than four years that there has been an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and the figures contradict previous Government claims that emissions had been decoupled from economic growth.
In last December's Budget the Government also announced it was setting aside €270 million between 2008 and 2012 to purchase carbon credits abroad in order to meet the Kyoto target.
Under the agreement, a country can use flexible mechanisms to purchase credits from developing countries which have made cuts, rather than making the reductions at home. This is the single biggest element in the Government's strategy to meet its Kyoto target.
Dr Kelly said the figures were "disappointing", and that the figures on transport emissions were "particularly worrying". She said the Kyoto target would be met through the purchase of credits and other measures such as emissions trading. However, she warned that this would be insufficient.
She added: "Policy makers must use the detailed breakdown of figures in each sector, provided today, to focus on all areas where reductions are possible and need to be achieved." Dr Kelly also warned that further cuts beyond the Kyoto target were almost certain to be set after 2012.
"In the post-Kyoto period emissions reductions in the order of 15 -30 per cent on 1990 emissions are being proposed to avoid irreversible and damaging climate change," she said.
"Europe is aiming to limit the inevitable global temperature increase to just two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Ireland needs to play its role in meeting this objective."
Apart from buying carbon credits, the Government has yet to unveil any new measures to meet its Kyoto commitments in addition to those in its seven-year-old greenhouse gas strategy.
The Government has already abandoned key elements of this current plan. These include plans for a carbon tax, along with the conversion of the coal-fired Moneypoint power station.
The Government is to publish a new revised strategy in April, more than six months late. It will include measures already announced in the Budget, including changes to vehicle registration tax and motor tax. From 2008 a new system, where rates will be based in part on the amount of emissions from vehicles, is to come into force.
The director general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr Mary Kelly has called for new measures to be introduced to tackle Ireland's greenhouse gas problem, after new figures showed that emissions have surged by more than 1.3 million tonnes.
Figures released this morning by the agency show that in 2005 emissions grew by 1.9 per cent to just under 70 million tonnes, reversing the declining trend of recent years.
They now stand at 25.4 per cent above 1990 levels, more than 12 percentage points above Ireland's legally-binding Kyoto target of 13 per cent above 1990 levels.
The increase was largely caused by a jump of nearly 7 per cent in emissions from the transport sector, while the reopening of two peat-fired power stations also contributed to the rise.
It is the first time in more than four years that there has been an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, and the figures contradict previous Government claims that emissions had been decoupled from economic growth.
In last December's Budget the Government also announced it was setting aside €270 million between 2008 and 2012 to purchase carbon credits abroad in order to meet the Kyoto target.
Under the agreement, a country can use flexible mechanisms to purchase credits from developing countries which have made cuts, rather than making the reductions at home. This is the single biggest element in the Government's strategy to meet its Kyoto target.
Dr Kelly said the figures were "disappointing", and that the figures on transport emissions were "particularly worrying". She said the Kyoto target would be met through the purchase of credits and other measures such as emissions trading. However, she warned that this would be insufficient.
She added: "Policy makers must use the detailed breakdown of figures in each sector, provided today, to focus on all areas where reductions are possible and need to be achieved." Dr Kelly also warned that further cuts beyond the Kyoto target were almost certain to be set after 2012.
"In the post-Kyoto period emissions reductions in the order of 15 -30 per cent on 1990 emissions are being proposed to avoid irreversible and damaging climate change," she said.
"Europe is aiming to limit the inevitable global temperature increase to just two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Ireland needs to play its role in meeting this objective."
Apart from buying carbon credits, the Government has yet to unveil any new measures to meet its Kyoto commitments in addition to those in its seven-year-old greenhouse gas strategy.
The Government has already abandoned key elements of this current plan. These include plans for a carbon tax, along with the conversion of the coal-fired Moneypoint power station.
The Government is to publish a new revised strategy in April, more than six months late. It will include measures already announced in the Budget, including changes to vehicle registration tax and motor tax. From 2008 a new system, where rates will be based in part on the amount of emissions from vehicles, is to come into force.
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