Green Party in right place at right time for climate action

Since the very dawn of the Irish State and throughout decades of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael electoral dominance, countless smaller parties have tried and failed to hold on to power.

Political wisdom says that if these ephemeral parties are radical enough, they can shine brightly and capture the mind of the voter before their time in the sun comes to an inevitable end.

The list of political casualties is long but includes : the Business Men’s Party, the National Centre Party, the Monetary Reform Party, Clann Na Talmhan, Clann Na Poblachta, the Progressive Democrats.

The Green Party, having already experienced a Lazarus-like recovery after a wipeout in 2011, has a chance now to leave a life-changing legacy for the country and planet.

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The Green Party has an opportunity to capitalise on the fact that it is in the right place at the right time

Historically it has been the case that when smaller parties enter coalition with the big players, their more attractive and progressive policies are thieved, their identities are smothered and they sacrifice their most basic principles in the name of pragmatism.

But focusing on the electoral gain misses the point. The report this week from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change could not be more unequivocal: climate change is here, it is our fault and the time to act is now.

A second report from the Environmental Protection Agency, Met Éireann and the Marine Institute brought it even closer to home. The watchdogs are warning that Ireland’s climate indicators are all going in the wrong direction.

Opportunity

In much the same way as Seán Lemass’s economic expansion policy set Ireland on a more prosperous path, or Noel Browne’s mother and child scheme laid the groundwork for a battle between church and State, the Green Party has an opportunity to capitalise on the fact that it is in the right place at the right time.

To do this it will firstly have to overcome the petty and bitter infighting that has lingered since the party took office last year. When the landmark Climate Action Bill was published in March, complete with an enforceable commitment to reduce emissions by 51 per cent by 2030, it was the row over Hazel Chu’s decision to run for the Seanad that dominated headlines.

Very public divisions emerged over a Seanad seat at a time when the whole point of the Green Party existence was finally manifesting itself.

Government sources say that in finalising the climate plan next month, they believe they will have to make some of the most demanding decisions yet. The scale of investment needed is huge

When party TD Patrick Costello disagreed with the Government’s stance on the Ceta trade agreement between Canada and the European Union, he made his feelings known by lodging a High Court case, a move which caused considerable tension.

Provided some political landmine does not explode (and that is never a given) there are only about 40 months left for this administration to take real and tangible action on climate change. Ministers who work alongside the Greens at the Cabinet table say they have now taken an attitude of putting the head down and getting on with the job, which can only be a welcome thing.

Experts in the field of climate action privately have doubts around whether politicians can be corralled into selling the unpalatable reality of the necessary changes. But the biggest job of Government will be to bring the public with them.

So much of the debate around climate change is tied up in jargon and doomsday predictions. At a time when people are still reeling from the most lethal pandemic in a century, the challenge for the Cabinet will be to present a clear picture of both hope and reality.

Climate Action Bill

Next month the Government will present its Climate Action Bill to chart a path towards slashing emissions. If people are to be told that they must retrofit their households to a B2 building standard and to use heat pumps then action must be taken to help them achieve it. This holds especially true for rural households or homeowners that simply cannot afford it.

Radical changes will be needed in the area of transport. If the idea is to set new targets on electric vehicles and encourage a shift to public transport, then it must be made clear how this can be realised in day-to-day life.

If this is via cheaper transport at a greater frequency on more routes then people have to be able to see it with their own eyes.

There are potentially thorny questions too around the various planned road projects and whether funding should be reallocated towards more sustainable modes of travel. Government sources say that in finalising the climate plan next month, they believe they will have to make some of the most demanding decisions yet. The scale of investment needed is huge.

Yet if this plan doesn’t explain what this means for people in their everyday lives, it will have failed. It should be understandable, it should be easily accessible, but most of all it should be doable.