On November 4, the Cabinet approved the Climate Action Plan which details the measures which will be implemented to ensure we stay within the carbon budgets set out by the Climate Advisory Council.
This is a moment of huge significance for Ireland on its journey to a carbon neutral future. The steps set out will require us all (the Government, public and private sector institutions, SMEs, farmers, and individuals) to fully buy into and embrace the changes that are necessary in order to avoid climate breakdown on the scale predicted by scientific modelling.
The impact of the changes set out in the Climate Action Plan are on a scale not seen before in Ireland and rarely in any other country worldwide.
We are being asked to completely transform how we live our daily lives; from how we get around, to how we heat and power our homes, what we eat, how we produce our food, the value we put on nature and biodiversity, how we use our land, and how we source our energy for running our economy.
All sectors and everyone need to play a part in helping us to achieve our targets and transform our society.
I hear arguments such as: “why should we bother doing anything, sure we’re a drop in the ocean compared to the emissions of China”.
Arguments like this hold no ground morally or logically. The truth is that Ireland is, and has been for many decades, one of the highest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world.
Average per capita emissions are around 13 tonnes per person (second highest in the EU, behind Luxembourg). To put that in comparison, average per capita emissions in China are less than 7 tonnes, while for India it is less than 2 tonnes.
On top of that, the historical emissions of newly industrialised countries like China and India are miniscule compared to Western countries like Ireland.
If I were a Chinese or Indian citizen and could see in countries like Ireland – where there are higher current and historical emissions – that little or no action was being taken to cut emissions, I would ask myself “why should I bother?”.
It is the kind of argument which leads to no action being taken as there is no one leading on taking action. We have a moral obligation to be a leader on climate action.
This plan sends the message that Ireland is taking a leadership role. We are saying to larger countries with a bigger footprint, but also to the dozens of other small countries worldwide which still need to step forward and take real action, that we want and expect you to act and we will show what can be done and what positive impacts ensue from our actions.
Change is never painless but that doesn’t mean it is not for the better.
As a species, we are averse to change. However, it has oft been said over the COVID era that we have shown ourselves to be adept to accepting and embracing dramatic changes when an emergency requires it.
We are now in a climate and biodiversity emergency and the need for dramatic and permanent change has never been more urgent or necessary. However, these changes will, in the most part, lead to positive impacts on our lives.
Retrofitting our homes will make them more comfortable, with better air quality and be cheaper over time (albeit continued and improved financial supports are vital). We will all need to walk, cycle, or take public transport much more often and to reduce our dependence on private cars (albeit the infrastructure needs to be installed to make that a viable option).
However, this affords us the opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle and to re-evaluate our hectic lives which are tied into regular car use, rushing here and there and not taking stock of what is really important.
Farmers will have the opportunity to increase areas of biodiversity on their farms and get paid for it. By stopping peat production and investing in bog rewetting, we prevent carbon release, over time we again capture carbon, provide an important habitat for wildlife and provide a beautiful and richly biodiverse amenity for us all to enjoy.
Ireland can see itself become a net exporter of renewable energy by tapping into our huge off-shore wind power resources. This will see us become energy independent whereas today we spend billions on fossil fuels imports, making us hugely vulnerable to price and supply fluctuations.
I am excited about the years ahead and what positive changes will come from us embracing this transition to a cleaner, greener economy.
It won’t be easy or pain-free and I fully acknowledge that the importance of those most vulnerable being supported in this transition (especially here in the Midlands).
I hope that everyone will buy into these changes that will be asked of us and that, in 20 years’ time, we will be able to look the next generation squarely in the eye and say we stood up and did our part.
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