SCC Submission to Public Consultation on Climate Policy and Legislation

SCC Submission to Public Consultation on Climate Policy and Legislation

ABOUT YOU

*1. Your details (If you provide an email address it will be used to notify you of developments related to this survey.)

Name* (required): / Stop Climate Chaos
Company:
Email Address:

*2. Location: If you are in the Republic of Ireland, please indicate your location, otherwise please select N/A

3. Affiliation

Academic
Business
EU ETS Installation
Individual citizen
x / NGO
Professional Organisation
Public Authority
Representative Body
Think tank
Trade union
Other (please specify):

4. How did you hear about this consultation?

Environ.ie website
Internet
Newspaper
Notified by another organization
Radio
Word of Mouth
Other (please specify):

Information Point: National Emissions Profile and Ireland's targets

Ireland has a somewhat unusual greenhouse gas emissions profile in a European context. There are a number of contributory factors, including a very high level of agriculture emissions; a relatively low proportion of emissions falling within the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) where abatement options tend to be cheaper; and a low population density coupled with a tendency for dispersed settlement that inhibits the cost-effectiveness of mass transport systems and encourages car ownership.
Within the EU, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in the period 2013-2020 will fall into one of two categories:
ETS – The EU Emissions Trading Scheme which covers industrial installations across the EU including around 100 Irish installations. By 2020, the ETS sector as a whole across the EU is required to deliver a 21% reduction in emissions relative to 2005.
Non-ETS – These are the emissions outside the ETS and are covered by the 2009 EU Effort Sharing Decision. Under the decision, each MemberState has an individual target to meet. By 2020, Ireland’s target is to achieve a 20% reduction in emissions relative to 2005. This reduction is required to take place along a trajectory, which will be fixed, and will start in 2013.Post Kyoto commitments. Emissions from the following sectors fall outside the ETS – agriculture, transport, waste, light industry, commercial and residential; these account for approximately 72% of total Irish emissions.
Further information on the national emissions profile and national climate policy generally is available in the National Climate Policy Review, published in November 2011. The Review is available at:

In 2009, the breakdown of emissions was as follows:

Choosing the policies and measures to cut emissions

5. There are a number of approaches that could be used by Government to determine the mixture of policies and measures to be employed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In your view, which of the following approaches would be preferable:

Least cost abatement, meaning that each mitigation option will be examined for its costs and benefits and the cheapest emission reductions will be identified and implemented no matter which sector they arise in
Least cost abatement subject to consideration of additional, specified criteria
Sectoral targets based on equal % reductions for all sectors
Sectoral targets based on negotiations at Government annually or multi-annually such as occurs in advance of the annual financial budget
Don't know/No opinion
x / Other (please specify)
Justice should underpin Ireland’s approach to climate policy and measures. This means that Ireland’s action on climate change should be directed at ensuring Ireland does its fair share, based on national responsibility and capacity, of the global effort to reduce emissions and support adaptation and low-carbon development in developing countries. Justice is also key to action at the domestic level. In developed and developing countries alike, people living in poverty who are already vulnerable will be those most impacted both by climate change and, potentially, by the responses to it.
A ‘least cost approach’ would be problematic. Currently cost analyses do not reflect the true costs of action or inaction. If the development and implementation of climate policy is to facilitate a transition to a truly sustainable economy and society it is imperative that narrow economic cost analyses be replaced by more comprehensive ‘cost-benefit’ analyses, incorporating both the social, and environmental costs and benefits of actions and inaction, as well as the economic costs and benefits.
Scientific integrity should also underpin Ireland’s approach to climate policy. Policy measures intended to deliver on commitments to emission reductions should meet rigorous standards of environmental integrity.

6. If an approach were being implemented that would require additional impacts to be taken into account in choosing policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, how important would you consider inclusion of the following impacts?

Very Important / Important / Don’t Know/No opinion / Not Important / Shouldn’t be included
Impact on administrative burdens
Impact on air quality (and related benefits for health, reduced acidification etc..)
Impact on competitiveness
Impact on investment
Impact on jobs
Impact on quality of life
Impact on regional development
Impact on rural communities
Impact on social inclusion
Other (please specify) / Each of these factors are important and should be part of an overall cost-benefit analysis of proposed measures. An additional factor not listed here is global justice. Both global and domestic justice should underpin Ireland’s approach to climate policy.

Policy Instruments

Different policy tools are available in the fight against climate change and each creates its own set of winners and losers. It is important to assess the impacts of various types of measures and how they interact with each other in determining an optimum set of policies and measures.
For each of the potential policy instruments listed below, please indicate how important you consider them in Ireland's policy response to climate change and meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and why?

7. Taxation measures (examples could include a carbon tax, differentiated motor tax, congestion charging in cities)

Very Important / Somewhat Important / Not Important / Don’t Know/No opinion

Reason…

8. Tradeable Permits in the non-ETS sector (examples could include schemes similar to the Emissions Trading Scheme or other "cap and trade" or "cap and share" schemes)

Very Important / Somewhat Important / Not Important / Don’t Know/No opinion


Reason…

9. Subsidies (examples could include grant schemes for firms or individuals like those administered by SEAI)

Very Important / Somewhat Important / Not Important / Don’t Know/No opinion

Reason…

10. Regulation (examples could include legislation requiring certain actions, codes of practice, or the adoption of standards for certain goods or services)

Very Important / Somewhat Important / Not Important / Don’t Know/No opinion

Reason

11. Information (examples could include campaigns to improve consumer awareness or the introduction of voluntary or mandatory labeling schemes)

Very Important / Somewhat Important / Not Important / Don’t Know/No opinion

Reason…

12. Other (please specify)

Reason…

13. FLEXIBILITIES
The effort-sharing decision provides some flexibility for Member States in meeting their targets. These flexibilities are designed to lower the overall cost of compliance and could be used beyond a certain threshold where domestic actions become more expensive. The decision provides for a range of flexibilities including the purchase of emission allowances from other Member States (from their unused allocations) or the purchase of credits from projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.

What role do you see for purchased units in meeting Ireland’s target?

A substantial role, if these options are cheaper than domestic abatement they should be used to the fullest extent possible
A significant role, but subordinate to domestic action to ensure investment in the domestic economy
Don’t know/no opinion
A small role, a strict national limit on purchases should be in place to maximise domestic action
 / No role, targets should be met solely through domestic emission reductions
Please include any additional comments
Buying carbon offsets overseas means we are not investing sufficiently in
emission reductions in Ireland. Transition to a low-carbon economy needs to begin as soon as possible, relying on purchasing credits from overseas is an expensive way to delay action.
Furthermore, there is much evidence that international offsetting mechanisms are not achieving additional emissions reductions (reference) and are thus highly questionable from an environmental integrity point of view.
It is also questionable whether credits bought overseas make a positive
contribution to sustainable development in the developing countries in which they are
purchased. In many cases offsetting is not helping developing countries take a low-carbon
path. In fact, perversely, a large proportion of offset revenues are subsidising
carbon-intensive industries, or projects building fossil-fuel power stations.
Vulnerable people in developing countries cannot afford false solutions.
There are also documented cases linking international carbon offsetting schemes with human rights violations in developing countries.
Use of offsetting mechanisms should not have a role in Irish climate policy.

Potential barriers to cutting emissions

The following is a non-exhaustive list of potential barriers to reducing Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. Please indicate how serious you consider each issue to be and, if possible, identify practical measures that might address it.

14. Lack of appropriate technology in some sectors

15. Lack of appropriate infrastructure in some sectors

16. A lack of commitment to act across society

Serious issue / Minor issue / Not an issue / Don’t know/No opinion
Please include any additional comments/specific examples here and, where possible, indicate how the specific barrier(s) identified could be overcome
It is inappropriate to place public commitment to act alongside technical barriers to action. The public is heterogeneous and the factors shaping their views, interests and values are complex. Individuals, households, businesses, interest groups, government departments and state bodies all have their reasons to support, or not, climate action in general, as well as specific proposed measures. The Irish government and the EU have recognised the overwhelming case for action presented by the science. It will never be possible to have support for either action in general or specific actions from all individuals or actors. Fostering understanding of both short and long-term implications of action and inaction and leading sufficient public commitment to do what has been recognised as necessary is the responsibility of government, in cooperation with others. Increased and improved public communication and consultation on climate change and climate action in Ireland would significantly support this.
Government must not wait for cross-society commitment to every measure needed to reduce emissions from the whole of society. A legal framework that sets a path for democratic decision-making on what measures to implement, is the best way to build on commitment in society to the principle of averting catastrophic climate change.

17. Ineffective or inefficient carbon pricing

Serious issue / Minor issue / Not an issue / Don’t know/No opinion

Please include any additional comments/specific examples here and, where possible, indicate how the specific barrier(s) identified could be overcome
In order to achieve the required pollution reductions the Government will need to introduce a range of policies that support and incentivise innovation in public services, private enterprises and personal behaviour. The implementation of the “polluter pays” principle endorsed at the Rio Earth Summit will have to be central to that effort. Putting a price on carbon across the whole economy can be a clear and fair way to encourage individuals and organisations to make choices which reduce pollution. The carbon pricing system can and must be designed in a way that ensures the social protection of the most vulnerable people in our society.

18. Incentives not properly aligned with climate change mitigation policy

19. Difficulties in accessing finance for improvements

20. Lack of information on the options for individuals/firms to pursue

21. Other potential barriers (please specify)

Reason…
The lobbying of powerful vested interests who oppose action on climate change creates a lack of political will to take the decisions needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Changing Behaviour

Focusing on potential areas for changing behaviour, in your view, are the following possibilities being adequately emphasised at present? If not, how would you propose improving the situation?

22. Reductions to energy bills through roof insulation, window replacement, maintenance or upgrading of heating or air conditioning systems.