COP21: Enda Kenny spells out Ireland’s task on battling climate change

Ireland’s challenge to meet climate change goals while maintaining its tradition as a producer of high quality food was spelt out by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny to one of the world’s largest gatherings of national leaders in Paris.

The opening day of COP 21, the 21st annual UN climate conference, the 11-day event hosted by France and the United Nations, hopes to get a legally binding agreement to limit global warning for the first time.

Representatives from 193 countries are attending and 170 representing 97% of global emissions have made pledges that undershoot the target and would allow the world to warm by up to 3.3 degrees.

More than 150 national leaders made speeches filled with pledges, aspirations and warnings. While their speeches gave a good indication of where each country stands in its attitude to tackling climate change, the real work will take place over the coming days.

Global warming has already increased by 1C and the effects are being felt, especially by poorer nations of the world, interfering with food production and with storms, droughts and floods causing devastation they cannot afford.

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Mr Kenny focused in on agriculture, but with a very different problem from that of poorer countries. While this conference is expected to agree to cut greenhouse gasses, the EU has said it will cut them by 40% by 2030 and the individual national cuts will be decided at the EU level.

Ireland and three other countries were set the highest targets for 2020 of cutting by 20%, something Mr Kenny said was an over estimate of what could actually be delivered given a third of the country’s emissions come from agriculture, mainly the national herd.

Segolene Royal, Francois Hollande, Ban Ki-moon and Christiana Figures arrive at yesterday’s conference. Picture: Loic Venance

However, because of the unrealistic target and the economic crisis Ireland is not in a position to reach the goal and if another target is to be added to that for 2030, that will create a real problem, he said.

“I think we will strive to achieve what we can achieve between now and 2020 and the starting point for 2020 should be what we have achieved,” said Mr Kenny.

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Under the EU rules if Ireland fails to achieve the targets it would have to buy carbon credits to make up for them, which could be very costly. The European commission is now discussing the targets for the individual countries which will be released next year.

Mr Kenny said that the country is now among the most advanced in carbon foot-printing its beef and dairy farms, driving economic and environmental efficiency, and contributing to research including feed that can be shared with other countries, he said.

Ireland maintained its humanitarian aid, and will contribute to the Green climate Fund next year, Mr Kenny added.