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IRELAND IS SET to fall far short of achieving its 2020, 2030 and 2050 climate change targets, the state’s climate change watchdog has warned.
In a scathing annual report the Climate Change Advisory Council says Ireland is now in an “even worse position” than last year as greenhouse gas emissions increased again.
Instead of dropping by one million tonnes per year emissions are in fact increasing at a rate of two million tonnes per year, the report finds.
The council is calling for the introduction of a range of measures to help the state achieve its goal of becoming a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy by the middle of the century.
It recommends a €10 increase in the carbon tax, up to €30 a tonne, in the upcoming budget, and an increase to €80 a tonne by 2030. It also suggests raising excise duty on diesel to the same level as that on petrol.
“We need immediate and urgent action to put us back onto a pathway to achieve transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and sustainable economy and society,” Chair of the Council, Professor John FitzGerald, said.
‘Deeply disappointing’
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment described the projections as “deeply disappointing”.
He said that recent economic growth contributed significantly to the projections because of increases in emissions from the agriculture and transport sectors.
“The projected shortfall to our targets is further exacerbated by both the constrained investment capacity over the past decade due to the economic crisis, and the extremely challenging nature of the target itself,” he said.
The Government is doing everything it can to ensure that we, at an absolute minimum, meet our 2030 target.
‘Going backwards’
The report sparked a flood of reaction from opposition parties. Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on climate action, Timmy Dooley, said it is a “damning indictment” of the government’s failure to address climate change.
“It’s clear to all that climate change is real and it has consequences for us all. In a number of key areas, the Government has failed miserably,” he said.
Green Party spokesperson, David Healy, said Fianna Fáil itself isn’t without blame for the situation while adding that the council had been as direct as it could be.
“This report sends a clear message to the Government, and to Fianna Fáil who are keeping them in office, that they are failing in their duty to reduce emissions,” he said.
Catherine Murphy of the Social Democrats said the government needs to “cop itself on”.
The country is going backwards on our climate targets to such an extent that you’d have to wonder if there’s anyone in charge at all.
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The ‘who killed your granny’ budget
@John F doe: The “fix Britain after 14 years of the Tories” budget
@Anthony Curran: by killing off the elderly? I know you shinners have a low value on life but this is disgraceful
@John F doe:
A quick Google search will show you just what the tories thought of the elderly…Savage cuts to resources for vulnerable people..
@John F doe: if SF get in this is exactly what will be facing us if not worse.
I wonder will Ireland be loaning money to the U.K.? As the loaned money to us when we were in a very dire state but we still are unfortunately.
@Tommy: we should absolutely help our wonderful nearest and dearest if needs be, they did it for us
@John F doe: dearest?
@Tommy: Economics clearly isn’t your strong suit.
@John F doe: In fairness they provided jobs for the Irish for decades, and still do, not that we need them as much these days.
@Tommy: let’s go Tommy Robinson
@John F doe: And maybe charge them an outlandish rate of interest like they did to us !!
Mad how the Torys can do whatever they like, recklessly destroy the economy BUT Labour oOOoooo ‘pure evil’… politics is truly pathetic
@Thesaltyurchin: the conservatives never launched an attack on the elderly
@John F doe: You’re absolutely dense.
@John F doe: Are you thick?. What age group do you think uses an underfunded NHS more than any other ?
@Ian: I agree
@John F doe: neither have Labour so what on earth are you talking about?
so she can take the blame when it will backfire
For all those ppl in ireland u say “the government can’t get any worse” of course it can get worse
The Budgies won’t be impressed with a tax hike.
Labour a bit like our own, pretend to be sympathetic and be the voice for the working class, yet when in power, o difficult decisions will have it be made. A conservative landslide is likely when they eventually put in a motion of no confidence against this travesty. Stammer the worst Labour PM since Ramsay MacDonald
@Alan: the Tories ran the country in to the ground for over a decade. That Labour would actually try and fix that by taxing the people that can afford it isn’t the “travesty” you think it is. The Tories are trying to paint this budget as crippling the working class but that’s, once again, is an utter lie.
Yep, how do you tax all the profits from State assets sold for a pittance to cronies and then offshored and shielded from view forever?
The once Great Britain is now little Britain a byproduct off Brexit.
What is this talk of Labour having promised not to raise taxes? Let’s be clear what they promised was not to raid Texas, and so far they have honoured that!
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