Consultation on Low Carbon Roadmap for transport sector

The Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport, Alan Kelly TD has launched a public consultation process on the preparation of a Low Carbon Roadmap for the Transport Sector. This roadmap is being prepared in anticipation of obligations proposed under the Climate Change Action and Low Carbon Bill. The transport sector accounts for 27% of the non-ets emissions in 2011 and a radical shift in transport patterns, fuel consumption and behavioral change will be required over the period to 2050.

When launching the consultation, Minister Kelly said: “Climate change will undoubtedly have consequences for Ireland. But, with the help of early intervention and long term strategic planning, we will be better placed to protect the social and economic viability of our country. We will all be required to make significant changes to our transport habits and change our behavior over the next half century, but with the deployment of technology, behavioral change and use of alternative fuels, we can be confident our transport sector will be able to transform itself sufficiently to deal with this problem. To help us do that, we are now seeking the views of the public,” said Minister Kelly.

Minister Kelly is seeking the views of key stakeholders and the general public in order to better inform and contribute to the development of this roadmap, which will become part of a national low carbon roadmap for Ireland. The National Roadmap will be coordinated by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and will be completed, following public consultation, in 2014.

The Minister explained that “this consultation document is one phase of a process that will establish a low carbon roadmap for the transport sector between now and 2050. It will form part of an overall national roadmap that will prioritise the key measures to be endorsed by Government. Developing a roadmap for the transport sector will have its challenges and we will need to consider many policies and measures, such as land use planning and taxation, to effect this change”

As the roadmap for the transport sector is being developed by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Department has published an Issues Paper to support this early phase of stakeholder engagement. This preliminary consultation will run until Friday 7 February 2014 and the Issues Paper is available for download at:

http://www.dttas.ie/sites/default/files/publications/corporate/english/issues-paper-16-december-2013/issues-paper-16-december-2013.pdf

All submissions (max 1,500 words) should be forwarded to lowcarbonroadmapfortransport@dttas.ie by 7 February 2014.