Will Cowen’s first ‘Green’ Budget bring about real change?

WHEN the Green Party crossed the Rubicon to enter Government, the party’s leadership justified its decision to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil on two grounds — that it had the two ministries closest to its ideological heart (environment, and energy and natural resources) and that it had won major commitments that would lead to real reductions in carbon emissions.

The main Green inclusions in these areas to be found in the Programme for Government are:

A reduction of 3% on average (15% by the end of 2012) in our greenhouse gas emissions.