Roinn Cumarsz?tide, Gniomhaithe ar son an hAer?ide 8c Comhshaoil Department of Communications, Climate Action 8: Environment 05/07/201 8 Flachel Lavin Freelance Digital Data Journalist Re: FOI request, granting request FOI 20181160 I refer to your request dated 22 June 2018 made under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, which was received on 25 June 2018 for records held by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Your request sought: - Copies of all records held by the Department of Communications, Climate Action 8 Environment referencing the 'Off Target' Lew by Climate Action Europe. - All electronic and written correspondence between the Department of Communications, Climate Action 8 Environment and representatives of the the European Commission referencing fines in relation to Renewable Energy Targets in the period of Jan 2018 - Jun 2018. - All electronic and written correspondence between the Department of Communications, Climate Action 8 Environment and representatives of the United Nations referencing tines in relation to the Paris Agreement in the period of Jan 2018 - Jun 2018. l, Colin O'Hehir, Assistant Principal Office, FOI Decision Maker, have now made a final decision to grant your request on 5 July 2018. You have sought access to the records by electronic means and i consider this an appropriate form of access in this case. Accordingly, a copy of the records is now enclosed including a copy of the schedule to these records. in the event that you are not happy with this decision you can make an appeal by writing to the Freedom of Information Unit, Elm House, Earlsvale Road, Cavan. H12 A8H7, or by e- mail to FOl.unit@dccae.gov.ie. You should make your appeal within 4 weeks (20 working days) from the date of this notification, where a day is defined as a working day excluding the weekend and public holidays; however, the making of a late appeal may be permitted in appropriate circumstances. In relation to an appeal regarding this decision there is a fee payable in the amount of ?30. The appeal will involve a complete reconsideration of the matter by a more senior member of the staff of this body. 29-31 Bothar Adelaide, Baile Atha Cliath, 002 X285 29-31 Adelaide Road. Dublin, 002 X285 +353 1 678 2000 1890 44 99 00 dccae gov ie Should you write to the Information Commissioner making an appeal, please either refer to this letter or enclose a copy. Alternatively you may appeal using the Office of the Information Commissioner on-line application form which can be located at: If an appeal is made by you and accepted, the Information Commissioner will fully investigate and consider the matter and issue a fresh decision. Should you wish to discuss the above, please contact me at (01) 6782582 or by email at colin.ohehi?dccaeoovie. Yours sincerel 2 a golin O?Hehir Assistant Principal Officer Climate Mitigation and Awareness Division Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment DRAFT Statement in response to CAN-Europe 'Off Target' report on climate change 18 June 2018 I note the publication today by CAN-Europe today of a report which purports to rank EU Member States on their ambition in setting ambitious climate and energy targets and the progress they are making in reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency at home. I do not, however, accept the basis for this ranking exercise or its conclusions. In relation to Ireland's support for increased ambition, Ireland is and always has been a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement and its objectives. Ireland is also committed to the EU's commitment under the Paris Agreement to achieve at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 1990 levels, relative to 2030. Ireland agrees that the EU will need to scale up its ambition over time. In this context, the European Council, at its meeting in March 2018, invited the Commission to present by the first quarter of 2019 a proposal for a Strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction in accordance with the Paris Agreement. In Ireland, the 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development already sets out an ambitious long-term commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland by at least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 across the electricity generation, built environment and transport sectors; and in parallel, to pursue an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. For 2030, negotiations on individual Member State targets within the EU have now been settled and the final agreement sets a target of 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 2005 levels for Ireland. During these negotiations, I emphasised the need to prioritise a successful conclusion which retains a high environmental ambition for the EU, but provides each Member State with the capacity to contribute to that ambition in a cost-effective and fair manner. I am satisfied that outcome provides appropriate recognition of different Member State circumstances, and the need to provide flexibility to reduce emissions as costeffectively as possible in the context of the overall EU target. In relation to Ireland's progress to date in reducing emissions, I am disappointed by the most recent emissions projections, published by the Environment Protection Agency on 31 May. The recent pace of economic growth, and the consequent increases in emissions from the agriculture and transport sectors in particular, have contributed significantly to these projections. The projected shortfall to our targets is further exacerbated by both the constrained investment capacity over the past decade due to the economic crisis, and the extremely challenging nature of the target itself. Since becoming Ireland's first Minister for Climate Action a little over two years ago, I have acted on key climate policy objectives to drive the transition to a low carbon economy. I published Ireland's first statutory National Mitigation Plan last July. The purpose which is to specify the policy measures required in order to manage Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions at a level appropriate for making progress towards our long-term national transition objective (as set out in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015), taking into account our existing EU and international obligations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This Plan explicitly defined the scale of the challenge Ireland faces in decarbonising, and declared itself to be a first step and not a complete roadmap to achieve the national transition objective to 2050. Rather it began the process of development of medium to longterm options to ensure that we are well positioned to take the necessary actions in the next and future decades. The Plan is a 'living document' which is being implemented and updated on an ongoing basis. I will also shortly publish an update on climate mitigation policy to coincide with the Empowering Communities for Climate Action event on the 20th of June, which will reflect the significant policy developments since the National Mitigation Plan, in particular with the publication of the National Development Plan. Building on the National Mitigation Plan, the publication in February of the National Development Plan, will lead to a significant step change in funding available for climate action over the next decade. Reflecting the strong commitment of Government on this issue, almost EUR22 billion will be directed to addressing the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient society. In addition, the National Development Plan allocated a further EUR8.6 billion for investments in sustainable mobility. This means that well over EUR1 in EUR5 spent under the National Development Plan will be on climate mitigation, and this capital investment will enable us to deliver a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030. The key investment priorities in the National Development Plan that I am driving forward are: . energy efficiency upgrades of 45,000 homes per year from 2021 and providing support for a major roll-out of heat pump technologies; . delivering energy upgrades to BER 'B' level to all public buildings and a minimum of one third of commercial buildings; . implementing the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme to deliver an additional 3,000-4,500 MW of renewable energy with the initial focus on shovel ready projects which could contribute to our 2020 targets; . rollout of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat and National Smart Metering Programme; . transitioning Moneypoint away from coal by the middle of the next decade; . at least 500,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 with additional charging infrastructure to cater for planned growth; and . a EUR500m Climate Action Fund, which I announced yesterday, to leverage investment by public and private bodies in climate action measures. Both the National Mitigation Plan and the National Development Plan explicitly recognise that that climate mitigation action will require a targeted balance between Exchequer-supported expenditure, taxation measures, regulation and behavioural change. Carbon tax in particular has a critical role in climate mitigation policy, and the National Mitigation Plan commits the Department of Finance to completing a review in 2018, with a view to setting a long-term trajectory for the evolution of this tax. Clear long-term signalling by Government on the future evolution of the tax is vital, as well as an examination of what other changes to the taxation regime could be considered that would assist with the achievement of climate targets - the Low Emission Vehicle Taskforce is bringing forward proposals in this regard. We need to look at the regulatory structure to encourage people to reduce the amount of fossil fuels they are consuming. As regards significant regulatory change, the National Development Plan commits Government to no new non-zero emission cars to be sold in Ireland post 2030, with no NCT Cert to be issued for non-zero emission cars post 2045. There is also to be a transition to a low emission urban bus fleet, including electric buses, with no diesel-only buses purchased from 1 July 2019. We will also become the first country in the world to ban smoky coal later this year. There are difficult days and challenges ahead. We are, as a country playing catch-up on our obligations in relation to climate change. This is as much our opportunity as our obligation. In any event it is a moral necessity and a vital national interest. I must enable people to take action themselves. The change required, requires people to become the agents and the authors of action themselves. Climate action is the move-on from aspiration to policy, and then to specific steps people can take daily. Effective change is putting the levers for climate action into people's hands. Delivery requires fundamental societal transformation. Ends. action, and this capital investment will enable us to deliver a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030. • Building on existing measures to reduce our emissions set out in the National Mitigation Plan published last July, the key investment priorities in the National Development Plan for climate action will include: o transitioning Moneypoint away from coal by the middle of the next decade; o energy efficiency upgrades of 45,000 homes per year from 2021 and providing support for a major roll-out of heat pump technologies; o delivering energy upgrades to BER 'B' level to all public buildings and a minimum of one third of commercial buildings; o implementing the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme to deliver an additional 3,000-4,500 MW of renewable energy with the initial focus on shovel ready projects which could contribute to our 2020 targets; o rollout of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat and National Smart Metering; Page 2 of 9 o at least 500,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 with additional charging infrastructure to cater for planned growth; and o a €500m Climate Action Fund, which the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment announced last month, to leverage investment by public and private bodies in climate action measures. • The Government also recognises that expenditure alone is neither affordable nor sufficient to meet the scale of the climate challenge ahead and that we need a targeted balance between Government expenditure and private expenditure, taxation, regulation and behavioural change. • New regulatory commitments in the National Development Plan include: o a commitment to no new non-zero emission cars to be sold in Ireland post 2030, with no NCT Cert to be issued for non-zero emission cars post 2045 - one of the most ambitious commitments on zero emissions on passenger cars in the EU; and o a transition to a low emission urban bus fleet, including electric buses, with no diesel-only buses purchased from 1 July 2019. Page 3 of 9 • In terms of taxation, further consideration will be given to climatefocussed taxation measures in the context of Budget 2019. • The Government is a strong supporter of the Paris Agreement and its objectives. Ireland is also committed to the EU’s commitment under the Paris Agreement to achieve at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 1990 levels, relative to 2030. • All Parties to the Paris Agreement will need to scale up their ambition over time. The EU is already working on this and the European Council, in March 2018, asked the Commission to present by early next year a proposal for a strategy for long-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions in line with the Paris Agreement. • Nationally, the 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development already set out our ambitious long-term goals to: o reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland by at least 80% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 in the electricity generation, built environment and transport sectors; and Page 4 of 9 o to pursue an approach to carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise capacity for sustainable food production. - ENDS- Page 5 of 9 Supplementary Material for Follow-Up Questions • The Government does not accept the assessment in the CAN-Europe publication of 18 June ranking EU Member States on their level of climate ambition and progress against targets. The report’s conclusions do not reflect Ireland’s stated ambition on climate action, namely; our commitment to the Paris Agreement, our very ambitious domestic 2050 objective, or our support for the EU’s 2030 targets. • The significant measures announced in the National Development Plan, which will lead to a significant step change in funding available for climate action over the next decade, are not addressed to any extent in this report. Reflecting the strong commitment of Government on this issue, almost €22 billion will be directed to addressing the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient society. • In addition, the National Development Plan allocated a further €8.6 billion for investments in sustainable mobility. This means that well over €1 in €5 spent under the National Development Plan will be on climate mitigation, and this capital investment will enable us to deliver Page 6 of 9 a significant reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2030. • For 2030, the final agreement on targets for EU Member States sets a target for Ireland of 30% reduction in emissions relative to 2005 levels. During these negotiations, The Government has emphasised the need to prioritise a successful conclusion which retains a high environmental ambition for the EU, but provides each Member State with the capacity to contribute to that ambition in a cost-effective and fair manner. The Government is satisfied that outcome provides appropriate recognition of different Member State circumstances, and the need to provide flexibility to reduce emissions as cost-effectively as possible in the context of the overall EU target. • In relation to our energy targets, throughout the EU negotiations on the Clean Energy Package, Ireland consistently supported a level of ambition for renewable energy that includes the availability of flexibilities to Member States. While we recognise the challenges involved, we also recognise the clean energy transition is a significant economic opportunity for the European and Irish economy, and for our local communities and citizens. Page 7 of 9 • There is no doubt that there are difficult days and challenges ahead. We are, as a country playing catch-up on our obligations in relation to climate change. This is as much our opportunity as our obligation. In any event it is a moral necessity and a vital national interest. Addressing climate change and our climate targets out to 2030 and beyond is at the top of the policy agenda for the Government. • The new projections of greenhouse gas emissions, published by the EPA on 31 May, indicate that emissions from those sectors of the economy covered by Ireland's 2020 targets could be between 0% and 1% below 2005 levels by 2020, in the context of a target that emissions should be 20% below their 2005 levels. • Our targets for 2030 will be even more challenging and will require a 30% reduction in 2005 levels of emissions by 2030. This is where we are committed to focussing our efforts to ensure that we at minimum meet our 2030 target. • It is important also to recognise that these latest projections do not yet take into account ambitious measures announced the National Page 8 of 9 Development Plan which will help to significantly improve the future trajectory of emissions from that presented in the new EPA data. Page 9 of 9 From: Frank Maughan Sent: 18 June 2018 14:16 To: Press Office DCENR; Aoife Parker Hedderman; Colin Ohehir; Orla HolmesIevers; Mary Caffrey; Micheal Young; Frankj Daly Cc: Suzie Coogan; Jean Andrews; 'keithvflanagan' Subject: RE: Request for Statement in response to article in the Irish Times RE 2018 Off Target Report 'Ireland second last in EU on climate action targets' Margaret The attached is based on the Minister’s statement issued in response to EPA emissions projections published on 31 May, with some additional material at the front in response to the specifics of the today’s report Frank From: Press Office DCENR Sent: 18 June 2018 12:19 To: Frank Maughan; Aoife Parker Hedderman; Colin OHehir; Orla HolmesIevers; Mary Caffrey; Micheal Young; Frankj Daly Cc: Press Office DCENR; Suzie Coogan; Jean Andrews; 'keithvflanagan' Subject: Request for Statement in response to article in the Irish Times RE 2018 Off Target Report 'Ireland second last in EU on climate action targets' Hi Frank, Suzie has requested a statement be prepared in response to the Irish Times article in today’s paper: 'Ireland second last in EU on climate action targets’ regarding the 2018 Off Target Report published by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. Kind regards, Margaret Press Office —— Roinn Cumarsáide, Gníomhaithe ar son na hAeráide & Comhshaoil Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment 29-31 Bóthar Adelaide, Baile Átha Cliath, D02 X285 29-31 Adelaide Road, Dublin, D02 X285 —— M +353 87 693 7580 T +353 (0)1 678 2441 press.office@dccae.gov.ie www.dccae.gov.ie You have received this email because you have previously engaged with us or have expressed an interest in being included on our mailing list. If you no longer wish to receive emails with details of press releases, please let us know by emailing press.office@dccae.gov.ie with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line and we will remove you from our records. Freedom of Information Schedule of Records - Summary of Decision Making FOI/2018/160 Rec. No. No. of pages Date of Record 1 1 20/06/2018 2 1 21/06/2018 3 9 21/06/2018 4 3 18/06/2018 5 1 18/06/2018 6 3 18/06/2018 Brief description of record Decision (Grant/PartGrant/Refuse) Email correspondence: Topical Issue. Member(s): Joan Burton. Department: Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Grant N/A Grant N/A Email correspondence: Selected Topical Issue Debate Microsoft Word document: Topic Issues Question Material Member(s): Joan Burton. Department: Communications, Climate Action and Environment. Email correspondence: Statement in response to CAN-Europe ‘Off Target’ report on climate change. Basis for refusal Exempt under FOI Act N/A Grant Grant Email correspondence: Request for Statement in response to Grant article in the Irish Times RE 2018 Off Target Report 'Ireland second last in EU on climate action targets' Microsoft Word document: DRAFT Statement in response to CANEurope ‘Off Target’ report on climate change Grant N/A N/A N/A Other