Aligning economic agenda with our green obligations
World of Politics with Harry McGee – [email protected]
Climate change is still low down on the agenda, down with Sunderland, if you will, in our Premiership of priorities. We have not heard all that much about greenhouse gas emissions since the recession took hold.
The irony was the collapse of the economy had one silver lining in that emissions actually fell, especially in transport. Not that that could compensate for all the pain that families endured.
Earlier this month Environmental Protection Agency published its latest projections which show that Ireland is falling hopelessly behind in meeting emissions targets set by the European Commission for 2020.
The target is 20 per cent of reduction in emission of harmful greenhouse gases compared to 2050. The EPA is saying that, at best, Ireland can reduce its total by between four and six per cent – and that is a long way short of the target.
We will be one of only two States out of 27 that will not meet the targets. That means the Government will have to spend a substantial amount to essentially “buy” out our shortfall of millions of tonnes.
Cynics might say the Government has been spouting a lot of very hot air about climate change but has not been doing all that much about it.
If you listened to what Irish Government Ministers and Donald Trump have said about climate change over the past twelve months, you would think they were living on separate planets – but when you start testing words against action, the differences are suddenly not so marked.
Sure, the Minister with responsibility for climate change Denis Naughten has not reversed any policies like Trump did on coal. The problem is when it comes to new policy initiatives to contain Ireland’s emissions, there is just not a whole lot going on.
What is more worrying is that after 2020, when emissions should be on a steep downward curve, the EPA is predicting they will actually increase, in most areas.
The two most dominant sectors (outside the emissions trading schemes) are agriculture and transport. With a growing economy both are expected to increase.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.