Irish Examiner view: Every sector will have to play its part

All parts of Ireland's society and economy will have to take responsibility for their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions

Firefighters across Europe have been called out to more frequent — and more severe — blazes than have been seen in living memory. Picture: SDIS Gironde/Reuters

Change, as we know, is a constant presence in our lives.

Change also sparks fears in humanity of a very natural kind; we don’t like change because of the inherent instability it presents to us. We don’t like change and yet it’s something we face — and deal with — every minute of every day.

But when change is forced upon us, it is always met with reluctance and recalcitrance; it is met with vigorous resistance at every step — even if the proposed change is something universally regarded as beneficial to the world in which we live and will make us a palpably better nation.

So it is with the ongoing talks between Environment Minister Eamon Ryan and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to thrash out what level of emissions will be acceptable going forward from the agri sector. Everyone agreed that not only is change necessary in the way farming is conducted in this country, but is, in fact, essential to our national wellbeing.

It is the level of change which is at issue, and the farming industry — in whose corner Mr McConalogue is standing — is maintaining it will have to bear the brunt of the proposed reduction in emissions. This, of course, is not the case as all production sectors are going to have to shoulder some of the burden.

The agriculture lobby is a powerful one though and it is using all its considerable muscle to try and lessen the impact of reduced emissions industry-wide. But was it not disingenuous of an influential cabal of Fine Gael public representatives to issue a statement prior to the talks beginning, aimed at further boosting the hand of the agri sector?

Their claim that “finger-pointing” at Irish farmers was tarnishing Ireland’s international reputation as a sustainable producer of top-class product, and that other sectors were producing higher emissions, is wide of the mark and misses the point. And their wild suggestion that “the prevailing narrative being taken by many commentators in the media, environmental NGOs, and others is that culling animals is the only way to save the planet” is almost laughable.

To attain vital climate targets, every sector is going to have to put its’ collective shoulder to the wheel and the agri sector is no different. Farmers will need support, that is a fact and is the basis on which talks should continue. But we can no longer afford to point to our culture or our past as a way of sustaining our future. There is no “false narrative” being bandied about here and nobody is placing the blame on “rural dwellers” for all our climate woes. The fact is that we must all play our part and sectionalism and factionalism will not help any of us in the broad fight against global warming.

What we need is change — and fast. And any dislike we may have for the concept of change has, in this instance, got to be parked.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB