Climate change: Ireland accused of ‘fiddling as the world burns’ as Paris Agreement signed

The Government has been accused of fiddling “as the world burns” as it signed up to the Paris Agreement on climate change in New York.

The Paris Agreement was adopted by all 196 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on December 12 last year. All countries agreed to work together to limit global temperature rise to below 2C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts for a 1.5C target.

Ireland, through the EU, indicated its commitment to the agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.