merrion street

Mr. Phil Hogan T.D., Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government today (15 December, 2011) addressed the

approach to the development of national climate policy and he also informed the members of the negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa last week.

The Minister outlined the details of the Durban Package which provides that a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will run from 1 January 2013, thus avoiding a gap at the end of the first commitment period finishing next year to the members.

The Minister highlighted the need for more joined up thinking on Climate Change and Agriculture and the support for this at EU level and among certain Ministers from developing countries with whom he met bilaterally in Durban. Agriculture and food security are key issues for people in the developing world where the impacts of climate change are felt most..

The Minister told the members:

‘I have been highlighting the need for more joined-up thinking on agriculture and climate change. After an intensive round of negotiations over the two weeks of the conference, I am pleased that the final outcome included a decision to consider issues related to agriculture, with the aim of exchanging views among Parties and adopting a decision at the next conference at the end of 2012. Since the Convention was adopted in 1992, almost 20 years ago, this is the first time that agriculture will be addressed in the international climate change process. I am hopeful that the decision in 2012 will lead to a comprehensive international work programme on agriculture and climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation.’

On the land use, land use change and forestry sector, an important decision was adopted on new international rules for forestry carbon accounting in the case of pre-1990 forests. Agreement on these new rules, which will apply for the post-2012 period, followed four years of intensive negotiations and will allow the climate change mitigation benefits of the forest sector and forest products in Ireland to be fully realised.

The Minister acknowledged that a great deal of the detail on the post-2012 international regime and how it is likely to affect or influence internal EU policy development remains to be worked out. Of particular and immediate importance to Ireland is an anticipated internal EU proposal from the European Commission on land use, land use change and forestry. These developments will have an important bearing on the national climate policy agenda.