Promises on Energy and the Environment

Election promises on Energy and the Environment

Fianna Fail

• One-third of all electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
• Peat stations to use 30 per cent biomass by 2015.
• Single electricity market by November 2007.
• Reduce carbon emissions.
• Ensure that Irish water quality is 100 per cent compliant with drinking-water standards.
• Increase recycling levels and reduce the cost of waste management.
• Review fines and sentences for polluting.

Fine Gael   

• Mandatory blends of bio fuels in all petrol and diesel.
• Every government agency to reduce its carbon footprint by 2 per cent each year.
• Invest in renewable energy and public transport.
• Reduced taxes on bio fuels.
• Lower taxes for those who drive lower emission cars.

Labour

• Legislation to legally underpin Ireland's carbon-reduction targets.
• Reach 1990-level greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.
• A reduction in CO2 up to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
• Make Ireland a carbon-neutral economy by 2030.
• A climate change bill setting out legally-binding emission-reduction targets in five-yearly budgets.
• A new Department of Energy and Climate Change.
• A 50 per cent target for electricity generation from renewable sources by 2020.

Greens

• Help surmount the capital cost hurdle to cheaper fuels.
• Introduce clever metering and electronic switching.
• Ensure that every house built next year is fully energy efficient.
• Move to a ‘distributed' energy grid.

Sinn Fein 

• The establishment of an all-Ireland state-owned gas and oil exploration industry.
• Gas to be made available to as many people as possible.
• Full environmental impact assessments to be carried out on all major oil and gas exploration, extraction and distribution plans.
• Use of renewable natural resources, such as water, soils and forests.
• Safe methods of waste disposal. 

 PDs

• Create a new Department of Environment and Energy.
• Require all major bus operators to convert vehicles to biofuel.
• 30 per cent of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2015.
• ESB's transmission and distribution operations break even, rather than return a profit to the state, resulting in reduced prices for customers.
• Ensure that bio-fuels represent 5.75 per cent of fuel market by 2009.
• Scrap the current VRT and motor tax system so motor tax paid on a car will depend on the vehicle's fuel efficiency.
• Grant aid to farmers to plant ‘energy crops'.

Socialist Party

• Sustainable planning.
• Tackle global warming by forcing big business to make radical cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions.
• State investment so that by 2020, more than 50 per cent of Ireland's energy is from renewable sources.