Feb 27 - Daily Mail; London (UK)

The carbon emissions target set for Ireland by the EU will result in the closure of factories as well as adding EUR 2.6billion a year to the countrys energy bill, industry figures warned last night.

The Irish Exporters Association insisted that the goals set by the EU Commission for greenhouse gas emissions and use of renewable energy will add significantly to the cost base of the Irish manufacturing sector.

They also claimed that many companies exposed to competition from outside the EU will not survive.

John Whelan, chief executive of the Association, said that the additional cost to Irish exporters will be too heavy for companies already reeling from rampant cost inflation.

He said: Inevitably, that extra expense will be too much of a burden for some manufacturing companies, especially those who must compete against non-EU companies.

Under the EU proposals, he said, Ireland will be required to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 20 per cent by the year 2020.

Meanwhile, one fifth of energy will need to come from renewable sources, while energy efficiency must also be improved by 20 per cent.

Only two other EU member states have to achieve the same level of improvement as those imposed on Ireland to meet their targets, he said.

He added that this was despite the peripheral location of Ireland which meant that transport energy usage was higher than in most countries.

In relation to renewable energy, Mr Whelan added that Ireland also fares badly in putting certain possible solutions in place.

He highlighted the problem of using hydro power which is not available to any great extent here and solar panels that are not as efficient here as they are in most continental countries because of the low level of sunlight in Ireland.

Newer technologies such as tidal barrages could be relevant in Ireland, but are still at an early stage of development and will require massive research investment before viable systems can be introduced, Mr Whelan warned.


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