Irelands Carbon Budget

The Irish Minister for the Environment John Gormley (Green Party) has announced a Carbon Budget today in Dail (Irish Parliament). In essence the policies will be:

Every Government initiative will "carbon-proofed" prior to instigation.
Their is new Motor Taxation on cars that will charge owners of larger cars by the following:
Motor tax rates will be graduated as one moves up the CO2 bands.

* Band A (under 120 grams per km) - €100.
* Band B (121-140 grams per km) - €150.
* Band C (141-155 grams per km) - €290.
* Band D (156-170 grams per km) - €430.
* Band E (171-190 grams per km) - €600.
* Band F (191-225 grams per km) - €1,000.
* Band G, the top band -€2,000, reflecting CO2 emissions of over 225grams per km.

"The clear objective of this new motor tax system is to influence the purchasing decisions of consumers by rewarding the buyers of low-emitting cars and charging a premium on less efficient vehicles," Mr Gormley said.

Also he announced that incandescent bulbs will no longer be sold in Ireland by January 2009.

These are a start, but to be honest with you it is nowhere near enough. I would have expected so much more. If it was me I would have insisted on the following:

Tax Credits to all apartment management companies that install solar and wind powered generation to contribute towards the running of the electric power of the complexes

Issue "fuel stamps" like payments to every householder of €100 to purchase long life bulbs (total cost €146,952,100)

Place 100% environmental Levy on standard bulbs (potential revenue €95,812,769

Nett cost of the last two is a maximum €51,139,330 Saving to the consumer on power (average) €125 per year on electrical charges.

We would also reduce upto 700,000 tonnes in carbon emission production.

But because I am not in power can't do this, but I will make my own representations on this.