Figures released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2010 reveal that the country’s biggest polluters have received a windfall profit of €90 million from selling unused carbon credits they got for free form the Government, according to an analysis by Friends of the Earth.
Meanwhile, the taxpayer has forked out over €86 million to buy overseas offset credits because Ireland’s emissions are still above our Kyoto target.
“Today’s emissions figures show once again how Irish climate policy is skewed in favour of vested interests and big polluters, with ordinary taxpayers left to foot the bill,” said Friends of the Earth Director, Oisin Coghlan. “The government gave away valuable credits to big polluters and then had to buy more from overseas to cover our emissions overshoot.”“With a much bigger challenge ahead to meet our 2020 targets it’s crucial that there is increased parliamentary oversight of ministerial climate policy to ensure the polluter pays and not the taxpayer. This kind of political reform is a central part of an effective climate law.”
The figures presented by the EPA indicate that to meet our current EU 2020 target, Irish emissions will have to decrease by an average of just over 2.5% a-year, year-on-year.
The seven-page EPA report “Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2010” can be viewed online at: http://www.epa.ie/downloads/pubs/air/airemissions/GHG_1990-2010_Provisional_2012.pdf