Debates

Tuesday, 17 April 2018 - Strasbourg

7.2. Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry into the 2030 climate and energy framework (A8-0262/2017 - Norbert Lins)

Ustne wyjaśnienia dotyczące głosowania

  Seán Kelly (PPE). – Mr President, I am pleased to support the report and the work of the negotiating team on the 2030 non-ETS targets. It is absolutely crucial that our actions to combat climate change go hand-in-hand with maintaining the competitiveness of our key sectors in Europe. Thankfully, this text finds the balance that will ensure our transition to a low-carbon economy is done in a fair and just way.

From an Irish perspective, this legislation is important, as it gives the needed flexibilities that are crucial for countries with a high share of agricultural emissions. Ireland will be allowed to cancel allowances that are earmarked for emissions from power plants and heavy industry. We can therefore choose to have less emissions in the power sector, deploy more renewable electricity instead, and then shift these emissions to the effort-sharing sectors. This will allow Ireland the flexibility to ensure that emission reductions are made where it is cost-effective to do so.

Additionally, this text properly recognises afforestation as a mitigating strategy. Ireland can now incentivise our farmers to increase their forest cover, and this will help us to meet our 2030 targets.

The agricultural sector is crucial to Ireland. It cannot be treated in the same way as energy and transport. This report ensures that.