Varadkar's €25m pledge at Cop28 criticised by environment groups

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: 'With the cost of living and high energy prices, many worry about how much the transition will cost and what it will mean for their jobs and incomes and living standards.' File picture

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's €25m pledge for the 'loss and damage' fund to help poorer countries deal with climate change has been criticised by Irish aid and environmental organisations.

His failure to use stronger language around the phasing out of fossil fuels also drew scrutiny as Mr Varadkar joined other world leaders at the UN's climate change summit in Dubai.

Mr Varadkar did not refer to "phasing out" fossil fuels in his address, but spoke of how Cop28 should "set us on a clear path to a safe and planned reduction in the use of fossil fuels".

The difference between "phasing down" and "phasing out" has been the source of contention for governments across the world, with the likes of former president Mary Robinson and environmental activists calling for their complete elimination of fossil fuels to have any shot at keeping global warming to 1.5C, as outlined in the Paris Agreement of 2015.

According to that 2015 agreement, reached at Cop21, a 1.5C rise in temperatures was set as the limit to stave off the very worst fallout from climate change.

Ireland is struggling to make as much progress on tackling emissions as needed and must do a better job in explaining the benefits of a low-carbon society, Mr Varadkar told Cop28.

He said: "With the cost of living and high energy prices, many worry about how much the transition will cost and what it will mean for their jobs and incomes and living standards. Those are legitimate concerns. We need to understand where people are coming from and offer reassurance."

Leaders must better explain the transition, said Mr Varadkar. "We need to do a better job explaining the benefits — a liveable planet, cleaner air, new jobs, and economic opportunities; a more secure world, with less conflict over resources, more reliable energy, fewer people on the move from homes that can no longer support them."

Ireland will commit €25m to the new loss and damage fund, which was agreed on day one of Cop28, according to Mr Varadkar.

“Loss and damage” refers to the consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to, while “climate finance” refers to major nations paying a fairer share towards climate change bolstering in smaller nations.

Christian Aid Ireland’s policy and advocacy officer, Ross Fitzpatrick, called the €25m "extremely regrettable" as it comes from existing climate finance commitments, not new ones, and additional funding "urgently needed by countries on the climate crisis frontline to help them recover and rebuild in the aftermath of climate disasters".

“Ireland must contribute much more over the next year and beyond to help ensure these countries are not left picking up the tab for the unavoidable and irreversible impacts of a climate crisis not of their making," he said.

ActionAid called the €25m a “deep disappointment”, with chief executive Karol Balfe saying the announcement by the Taoiseach that the contribution to the fund will come from existing finance climate commitments, rather than being additional money, amounts to “taking with one hand and giving with another".

Friends of the Earth Ireland said the fossil fuel commitments did not go far enough. Head of policy Jerry Mac Evilly said: “We endorse the Taoiseach’s demand that the Cop must set us on a clear path to a safe and planned reduction of fossil fuels. However, the destination needs to be clear — we need a full phaseout of fossil fuels."

A mere reduction is not enough — hard limits on fossil fuels are essential, he said.