The Republic is facing serious challenges in meeting EU and Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas targets, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said yesterday.
The latest in a series of four-year reports on the State's environmental performance found renewed efforts would have to be made to protect the environment in key areas of waste management, air pollution, water purity, energy use, agriculture and transport.
While the report acknowledged some progress has been made in recent years, progress was in danger of being eroded by the expanding economy.
The report cited the expanding number of cars and larger engine sizes which it said had negated improvements in vehicle manufacturing designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
And it said that while improvements had been made in waste management, new initiatives, particularly in relation to biodegradable waste and waste reduction, would have to be introduced.
Addressing what she described as significant and looming international deadlines, EPA director general Dr Mary Kelly said "an immediate push is now needed if Ireland is to meet its environmental commitments".
She called for the forthcoming National Development Plan 2007-2013 to be integrated with good environmental management policies.
Among the deadlines identified by the EPA are:
The landfill directives 2010, 2013 and 2016 which require that landfilling of waste must be reduced to 35 per cent of waste generated in 1995.
EU national emissions ceiling directive. By 2010, the Republic is required to cap emissions on sulphur dioxide; ammonia; volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.
Kyoto Protocol 2008-2012. The State is committed to limiting greenhouse gas emissions to 13 per cent above 1990 levels. In 2004, the rise was already at 23.1 per cent.
The water framework directive 2015. All water bodies in the State should achieve good status - almost 30 per cent of rivers fall short of this benchmark.
The report shows that while the supply of renewable energy grew by 122 per cent since 1990, economic expansion meant that dependency on fossil fuels also continued to grow.
Imported oil and gas now account for about 73 per cent of the Republic's energy supply. The EPA report said new targets will require electricity generation from renewable sources to be doubled over the next five years.
Dr Kelly said a renewed focus on the efficiency of electricity use is required. "In the long term the dependence of the Irish economy on fossil fuels needs to be addressed," she warned.
But the EPA reserved some of its most stark comments for the transport sector, which contributes 18 per cent of the State's greenhouse gas emissions. The number of private cars and goods vehicles has more than doubled in the past 15 years and road traffic volumes are already at the levels predicted for 2010.
The report showed the Republic's transport emissions grew by 130 per cent between 1990 and and 2003 and it is believed that they have risen further since.
Launching the EPA report, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said he welcomed the independent assessment it provided. He revealed that he was in favour of a change in the way car tax is paid, to reflect "tail-pipe emissions".
"If you think of it, we already have very high rates of vehicle tax and a tail-pipe emissions system would reorganise it to reward those who use a fuel which resulted in lower emissions."
The Minister said the change, which would be neutral in revenue generating terms, would encourage better environmental performance even of larger, executive cars.
Mr Roche said the report was encouraging in that it showed that economic growth did not have to mean environmental degradation.
It also showed the Government's policies were showing steady progress in a wide range of environmental areas.
