Taoiseach urged to promote green EU

Ten leading environmental organisations in Europe have written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny urging him to make the green economy a central theme of Ireland’s six-month presidency of the EU.

In a letter to the Taoiseach on Friday, Genon Jensen of Green 10 implicitly criticises the Government decision to focus on jobs and growth alone during its presidency, which begins on January 1st.

Green 10 is an umbrella of 10 major environmental organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Climate Action Network, Birdlife International, the World Wildlife Federation and the European Environmental Bureau.

In the letter, a copy of which has been seen by The Irish Times, Ms Jensen, also head of the Health and Environmental Alliance, expresses concern about Ireland’s agenda, which makes no reference to a green economy.

Sustainable employment

“Greening the economy means building more sustainable employment across the entire economy: in manufacturing, financial services, retail and public services, as well as in those areas traditionally associated with ‘green jobs’,” she wrote.

“A lack of clear focus will effectively make the ‘jobs and growth’ theme vacuous and Ireland will miss the opportunity to provide leadership in this crucial period.”

Donal Geoghegan, of Greenpeace Europe, said yesterday there was still time for the Government to shape its presidential agenda.