A “once in a lifetime opportunity for Ireland” or a “disaster” which “goes against science”? Sharp differences have emerged among Galway politicians following the publication of the Government’s Climate Action Bill.
A war of words has broken out between Galway Green Party senator Pauline O’Reilly, and People Before Profit Galway’s Adrian Curran, after the Government’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment ) Bill was published.
On Twitter, Sen O’Reilly said the Bill puts a binding target of net zero emissions by 2050 into law and provides “nature based solutions and a just transition”. However Mr Curran said the Bill was “not effective or realistic”, and said its failure to ban the import of Liquified Natural Gas - a ban that environmental campaigners have been calling for - risks encouraging a rise in LNG usage and emissions.
Climate-neutral by 2050?
The Bill commits to transitioning to a climate resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable, and climate-neutral economy by 2050. The legislation will require all carbon budgets to be in line with the Paris climate agreement and will target a reduction of 51 per cent by 2030 - one of the most ambitious climate bills in the world.
The Bill also strengthens the role of the Climate Change Advisory Council, enabling it to propose carbon budgets in line with the Paris agreement and other international obligations, including all forms of greenhouse gas emissions. It will also oblige local authorities to put in place Climate Action Plans.
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“The Green Party is driving a scale of ambition that brings Ireland further and faster on emissions reductions than any country has achieved before,” said Sen O’Reilly. “Climate Action is one of the reasons people supported the Greens in Government and by being ambitious on these issues, we can build a cleaner greener economy and a better future for our children.”
'More ambitious'
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However Mr Curran said the target date of 2050 was “hopelessly inadequate”, and that scientists believe Ireland needs to see an 80 per cent cut in actual emissions by 2030 to comply with the Paris Treaty targets of limiting global temperature rises to under 1.5 degrees. “That would mean annual emission cuts immediately of around 12 per cent,”: he said, “something this Government is not even attempting with its own targets of seven per cent annual cuts.”
Mr Curran said the Government needs to be “more ambitious” and serious if “Ireland is to play its part in reducing emissions and limiting the effects of climate change globally”.
