Lukewarm response on climate change will cost us dearly

Government must act with strong legislation to combat the very real threat of climate change, writes Michael McCarthy

CLIMATE change no longer seems remote and intangible. It is now one of the key issues facing the world today and it is vitally important that we formulate the necessary policy and legislation to help Ireland move to a low carbon and environmentally sustainable economy and society.

We have taken some battering over the last number of weeks and months. The recent sequence of severe storms have caused havoc, battering homes, businesses and farms across Ireland. Communities the length and breadth of the country are still trying to piece together, clean-up and repair the damage caused. This tells us quite clearly that climate change is not some abstract academic idea, or something that might happen at some time in the distant future.

It is real and the power and frequency of these storms is a testament of that fact. We are seeing a lot more extreme weather events both at home and abroad and global warming seems the most obvious explanation.

If left unchecked it has the potential to severely damage not only our environment, but also our economy and our quality of life. It may also have major economic consequences for our essential indigenous sectors such as agriculture and food production. There is also now a growing economic and political consensus that the costs of inaction will greatly outweigh the cost of action.

Just paying lip service to the problem is not going to make it go away. The Government has committed to legislating in this area. Legislation is the best way to make sure that all departments across government, and all government departments across time, take climate change seriously and take action consistently. It will hardwire action and accountability on climate change into the political system.

It is the first time that a coherent and legislative response has been developed to the threat of climate change. This legislation will make Ireland one of the few EU members states that have adopted climate change legislation to date and one of the first EU countries to put a legal obligation on its government to develop policies to plan for existing and future climate change commitments.

I welcome the fact that key recommendations contained in the Joint Oireachtas Report on the Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013, published last November, form the key pillars of this bill. In consultation with stakeholders the report made a number of recommendations for Environment Minister Phil Hogan to consider when framing this legislation. A number of lengthy hearings last summer provided all stakeholders with a chance to air their views on the draft heads, and the report and this bill reflect many of the observations made.

In short this bill makes Ireland’s EU targets our national targets and puts a legal obligation on this government, and future governments, to show how it will comply with them. Dáil accountability is a strong feature of the legislation as the minister for the environment will be required to account to the Dáil each year on his progress towards compliance with these targets. Another key recommendation adopted will be the establishment of the Expert Advisory body which will provide oversight of government action that will be implemented through sectoral roadmaps. That Expert Advisory Body will also make recommendations on the direction of government policy in light of potential future EU or international targets.

This legislation is in keeping with key Labour Party policy and with the Programme for Government and will provide a definitive direction in terms of government policy and a way forward in implementing emission reductions in line with the EU 2020 carbon emission targets.

As a party we have always believed that climate change targets must be put on a legislative footing. Along with the Joint Oireachtas Environment Committee, my Labour Party colleagues, Kevin Humphreys TD and Ged Nash TD, and I have worked hard to ensure that we deliver on our Programme for Government and manifesto commitment on climate change legislation. I am satisfied that this bill reflects that commitment, and arguably exceeds it.

We must remember there’s an opportunity for Ireland here to develop a green low carbon environment and industry that is green aware. Our economic recovery is not divorced from environmental issues. The two go hand in hand. Our economic recovery presents a chance to rebuild in a more sustainable way, creating jobs in agriculture, food, marine and tourism based initiatives. Effective legislation can help make Ireland a hub for green enterprise and innovation.

It is our job now to ensure that Ireland has a very strong legislative response to the real threat of climate change. The time for action is now, and I look forward to enacting legislation in this area. We are ambitious for action on climate change policies, and this legislation is a tangible and positive step forward in the right direction.

Michael McCarthy TD is chair of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht and Labour TD for Cork South-West.