It is reported today that the government is to appoint an Expert Advisory Council on Climate Change, and to announce the names of its ten members later this week.

In what could be a landmark move in the development of the State’s climate policy, the Council’s primary objective will be to assess the State’s progress in cutting carbon emissions.

According to the Irish Times, the Council will be chaired by former ESRI economist, John Fitzgerald and professors, Frank Convery of UCD and Alan Mathews of Trinity College.

Professor John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth, one of the country’s foremost authorities on climate change, is not expected to be involved.

Ireland has a current target to achieve a 20 percent cut in its 2005 carbon emission levels by 2020, which most commentators don’t expect us to achieve.

Today's G7 meeting in Germany is due to be dominated by the issues of climate change, and fighting international terrorism.