WHAT ACTIONS DOES the government need to take on the climate crisis?

It’s a complicated question that urgently needs an answer.

Earlier this year, the government passed a bill that amended the Climate Action Act and set a new target of halving Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

But last-minute changes to the amendment, including how greenhouse gas emissions are calculated for different sectors, drew criticism from opposition TDs and climate experts.

Now, as the government is set to publish a new Climate Action Plan outlining how it intends to reach its targets, the question will be whether the measures it contains go far enough to have a substantial impact.

Human activities have caused major, unprecedented changes to the climate system – but if the world acts fast and in a concerted way, it’s still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius, which could allow us to avoid some of the worst effects of climate change.

As part of The Good Information Project, we’re spending the next month taking a deep dive into the climate in the lead-up to COP26, where world leaders will meet in Glasgow to negotiate new climate agreements.

We’ll be speaking to policymakers and experts about the threats posed by the climate crisis and the solutions that could be implemented, but we want to hear from you too.

What actions would you call on the government to prioritise in the fight against the climate crisis?

Should they stop building new roads, like Wales has done, or restrict short-haul internal flights, as some other EU countries have?

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Incentivise farmers to move away from agriculture that produces large amounts of methane? Penalise corporations that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions?

Should they invest in carbon dioxide removal technologies or ban data centres from Ireland?

There’s an entire suite of measures that could be taken to reduce our negative impact on the climate and try to repair some of the damage we’ve done – more that can fit into a few hundred words – so let us know what you think needs to be at the top of the list.

Share your ideas in the comments below or reach out to us on Facebook or Whatsapp.

This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work are the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.