Green Party Communications | 14.12.2014
Sunday 14 December 2014, Dublin
Today’s agreement from the United Nation’s climate negotiations in Lima calls on all countries, including Ireland, to reveal how they will cut carbon pollution by March 2015. The United Nations will then determine whether these global actions will be enough to limit warming to 2ºC before a final international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015.
Green Party Spokesperson for Climate Change, Dr. Cara Augustenborg, has responded to today’s UN agreement by urging the Irish Government to act swiftly to publish the long-delayed Climate Bill before Christmas and develop a strong National Low Carbon Road Map early in 2015.
Speaking today, Dr. Augustenborg stated:
“Since the first UN climate agreement in 1997, the Department of the Environment has failed to deliver sufficient action to meet Ireland's emissions reductions targets, and the clock is now running out. Ireland’s last action plan on climate expired in 2012. The Government promised a new national climate action plan by end of 2013 and two years later, we have seen no sign of it. Instead, the government’s recent engagement in climate negotiations in Europe have been focused on shirking responsibility by trying to exempt agriculture from future EU emission reduction targets. In addition, Ireland is now touted as one of the bad guys in international climate diplomacy as the only developed country that has not contributed to the Green Climate Fund, designed to help poor countries cope with the impacts of climate change.
“Every country in the world will propose emission reduction actions to the UN over the next six months. In order to compete in a global economy and take responsibility for contributing to the climate crisis, Ireland must target a reduction in carbon emissions of 80% and transition to a low-carbon future. We risk missing opportunities for jobs, prosperity, and a new clean economy if we don’t act now to dramatically reduce our dependence on carbon-based energy sources.”
Ireland’s Climate Bill was due to be published before Christmas. With the new UN requirement to submit action plans in the next six months, it is now essential that the Climate Bill and a long-overdue national climate action plan be completed by the Government immediately.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Lima Call for Climate Action agreement: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2014/cop20/eng/l14.pdf
Chris Green
Press Officer
[email protected]
+353 1 679 0012
+353 86 661 0972
Follow us @greenparty_ie
ENDS
Today’s agreement from the United Nation’s climate negotiations in Lima calls on all countries, including Ireland, to reveal how they will cut carbon pollution by March 2015. The United Nations will then determine whether these global actions will be enough to limit warming to 2ºC before a final international climate agreement in Paris in December 2015.
Green Party Spokesperson for Climate Change, Dr. Cara Augustenborg, has responded to today’s UN agreement by urging the Irish Government to act swiftly to publish the long-delayed Climate Bill before Christmas and develop a strong National Low Carbon Road Map early in 2015.
Speaking today, Dr. Augustenborg stated:
“Since the first UN climate agreement in 1997, the Department of the Environment has failed to deliver sufficient action to meet Ireland's emissions reductions targets, and the clock is now running out. Ireland’s last action plan on climate expired in 2012. The Government promised a new national climate action plan by end of 2013 and two years later, we have seen no sign of it. Instead, the government’s recent engagement in climate negotiations in Europe have been focused on shirking responsibility by trying to exempt agriculture from future EU emission reduction targets. In addition, Ireland is now touted as one of the bad guys in international climate diplomacy as the only developed country that has not contributed to the Green Climate Fund, designed to help poor countries cope with the impacts of climate change.
“Every country in the world will propose emission reduction actions to the UN over the next six months. In order to compete in a global economy and take responsibility for contributing to the climate crisis, Ireland must target a reduction in carbon emissions of 80% and transition to a low-carbon future. We risk missing opportunities for jobs, prosperity, and a new clean economy if we don’t act now to dramatically reduce our dependence on carbon-based energy sources.”
Ireland’s Climate Bill was due to be published before Christmas. With the new UN requirement to submit action plans in the next six months, it is now essential that the Climate Bill and a long-overdue national climate action plan be completed by the Government immediately.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Lima Call for Climate Action agreement: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2014/cop20/eng/l14.pdf
Chris Green
Press Officer
[email protected]
+353 1 679 0012
+353 86 661 0972
Follow us @greenparty_ie
ENDS
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