The Green Party today accused the Government of shaming Ireland on the international stage, and warned that despite their rhetoric, they will be judged on actions, not words, at COP21.
Speaking as the summit began in Paris, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said that Fine Gael and Labour have no credibility on the issue.
“The level of support for developing countries will be a first measure of success in any deal. At the last UN Climate Talks in Lima, Ireland was awarded the ‘Fossil of the Day’ award for failing to contribute to a key climate justice fund. We risk being awarded another with the Government’s paltry contribution this time. This lack of generosity runs counter to everything the Irish people stand for and it needs to change.
“The Government are being seen as a laggard, not a leader on climate change, and are shaming us internationally. They have spent huge amounts of political capital pleading with the EU to be recognised as a ‘special case’, and get off the hook on EU 2030 emissions targets. While the UK, France and Germany will promise to cut their emissions by 40% by 2030, we have negotiated a deal where we barely increase the level of ambition beyond the cut that we already promised, and they will fail to deliver, for 2020.
“They are shaming us by extending the operation of peat fired power plants by 15 years, spending €120 million every year to keep them open. Such an approach is uneconomic and morally indefensible. The state needs to divest from the burning of fossil fuels and arrange for the closure of the Moneypoint coal fired power plant and a commit to not allowing fracking for shale gas in Ireland.
“They are shaming us by pursuing unsustainable agricultural expansion. Instead of encouraging high quality, local produce where our farmers get paid a decent price, they are fixated on the maximum quantity, minimum price model big food processors want. During the fodder crisis, we couldn’t feed the cattle we had. How can Irish farmers expect to feed 300,000 more? Not sustainably, that’s for sure.
“In every sector of the economy you look the Government is leading us in an unsustainable direction. They have abandoned any big public transport projects until the end of the next decade and failed to provide capital for a bus, cycling or walking alternative. They pushed through an incinerator in Dublin which will kill a growing recycling and circular economy.
“Unless all this changes then the Taoiseach’s words today stand for nothing. His Government simply does not see that divesting from fossil fuels will be good for our country. That is the first thing that needs to change.”