Carbon footprint - Ireland’s poor energy record

CONTRASTING faces of Ireland’s economic success emerge from separate reports out today showing that while the Republic is set to top the euro growth league this year, it has the dubious distinction of boasting the seventh largest carbon footprint in Europe.

According to an upbeat economic forecast, Irish GDP is set to grow by 5.2% this year. However, in line with a spate of warnings that the economy is heading for a soft landing, the report suggests economic growth will ease to 4% in 2008, putting Ireland third in the eurozone league by next year.

From an environmental perspective, there is a high price to be paid for Ireland’s remarkable economic success. According to an international study by Friends of the Earth, this country is guzzling fossil fuel resources so fast it has one of Europe’s blackest carbon footprints.

Analysing 30 European countries, it also looks at life expectancy and “happiness”, and ranks Ireland in mid-league on a happy planet index. Not too long ago, this kind of language would be dismissed by sceptics as typifying the tree-hugging brigade. Nowadays, the pronouncements of Friends of the Earth are taken more seriously.

Analysing carbon footprints, it measures greenhouse gas emissions in terms of the amount of land required to support enough plant life to absorb and eliminate CO2 output from fossils fuels.

Based on global hectares per capita, Ireland ranks among the rich energy guzzling states of Europe, consuming far more fossil fuel than the land and its plants can absorb.

According to the study, a sustainable carbon footprint is one hectare per person. At 3.12 hectares, Ireland’s population uses more than three times this amount of land. The Republic has been accused of hypocrisy for failing to live up to its commitments under the Kyoto agreement. Our environmental record is so lacklustre the report rates us behind 23 other European nations.

The long list of states performing better than Ireland includes Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia, Poland and Sweden. Even worse than the Republic, however, are Luxembourg, Estonia, Finland, Britain, Greece and Denmark.

Politically, the negative findings of the survey could turn out to be embarrassing for the Green Party. In their election manifesto, the Greens emphasised the urgency of reducing Ireland’s carbon footprint, and stressed the importance of making a greater contribution to slowing down climate change.

Balancing sustainable economic growth, while reducing our carbon footprint, remains a huge challenge.

Though the economy is forecast to continue growing at the fastest rate in the EU, consumers remain cautious, because of higher interest rates and the housing slowdown.

However, consultants also predict the construction sector will remain “reasonably strong” due to increases in spending on infrastructure.

Against this economic backdrop, the burning question is whether a Green target of a 3% reduction in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions is realistic. Supposedly, a “revenue-neutral” carbon levy is due to be introduced during the lifetime of the government.

But it is hard to see how the current rate of economic growth can be sustained under measures designed to clamp down on CO2 emissions here. In the last analysis, Ireland has a long way to go if it is to live up to its traditional green image, and make a more positive contribution to reducing global warming.