Government climate change statement slated

The Government’s first annual transition statement on climate change has been strongly criticised by Opposition parties and environmental groups.

The statement arises from new climate change legislation enacted last year and requires the Government to set out the measures it has taken to mitigate climate change in the previous year, and outline the actual targets.

Minister for Climate Action Denis Naughten has accepted that Ireland is unlikely to meet EU targets for emissions reductions by 2020, but has argued this Government has started to tackle the issue seriously.

He also contended the 2020 target was not appropriate as it was not cost-effective.

Responding to the statement, the Green Party claimed the Government has lacked political leadership on this issue and that its policies have lacked ambition.

Senator Grace O’Sullivan said Mr Naughten still did not seem to recognise the urgency of the situation regarding climate change.

“Ireland has everything to gain by going down a sustainable path. The Minister once again has lamented Ireland’s 2020 emissions targets were too ambitious.

“I would suggest that he and his Government colleagues aren’t nearly ambitious enough in time frame or in scale. They have fallen at the first hurdle by failing to decouple economic growth and emissions.

“How can we have trust this Government in taking ambitious leadership to a carbon-free future if they fail to see the problems with the current approach,” she said.

Five tests

The Stop Climate Chaos coalition turned the focus to the draft five-year national mitigation plan that is expected to be published next week.

It said it would only succeed if five tests were passed. These were: Ireland doing its fair share on emission reductions; phasing out fossil fuels; ramping up renewable energy; putting agriculture on a path to carbon neutrality; and realigning investment in transport.

“Be consistent with the national 2050 objective of an 80 per cent cut in emissions. This will require year-on-year cuts of 5 per cent per annum starting in 2017,” said Oisín Coghlan of the the coalition.

In his statement to the Seanad, Mr Naughten said that energy and climate action were inextricably linked.

“Using less energy and using it more efficiently is the most cost-effective and accessible way for us all to take action on climate change.

“In Budget 2017 a significant start has been made to addressing the challenge. More than €100 million will be invested on energy projects which will save over 116,000 tonnes in carbon emissions every year. These will support around 3,000 jobs and reduce our overall dependence on imported fossil fuels,” he said.

“Global issues almost too huge to grasp can be distributed as opportunities and as obligations – one household, one business, one country at a time – across the world. That is the political action required,” added Mr Naughten.