Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Preventing catastrophic global temperature increases means rapid and deep decarbonisation in accordance with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Biodiversity loss is also an existential threat, which is fundamentally linked to the climate crisis. This House has made great strides in recent months in the form of the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment, as well as the more recent declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency. The jury is still out as to whether this Government will tackle this crisis with the urgency it deserves. At EU level, it is welcome that the Government is supporting a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 and must also apply this at national level. However, in terms of the motion before us today, this Government commitment will prove utterly hollow if the Mercosur deal allows for the destruction of the Amazon and the active defiance of the Paris Agreement.

Transparently assessing and improving environmental standards is a cornerstone of EU agriculture policy, an area which Ireland must continue to support actively. Yet it is far from clear whether these criteria will be prioritised and upheld in the context of the Mercosur deal. Brazilian beef is not produced to the same environmental standards as is beef in the EU. It also has a higher carbon footprint. Beef production has become a major driver of deforestation, with most blame attached to the Brazilian Government. Deforestation of the Amazon has surged since President Bolsonaro took office. Deforestation has risen to its highest level in a decade, with clear-cutting up 88% in June compared with the same month in 2018. Over the past 11 months, over 4,000 sq. km have been lost.

It is also worth highlighting the extremely concerning political developments, as well as the worsening environmental and human rights protections in Brazil, which are rightly referenced in the motion before us. Since President Bolsonaro took office in January, eight former Ministers of the Environment have warned that Government actions are undermining Brazil’s environmental protection policies. There are also reports that the Brazilian Government has opposed returning protected lands to indigenous communities. Attacks on environmental activists and indigenous people are on the rise and increasing numbers of small-scale farmers have been displaced. Legislation has been proposed that would relieve farmers of the obligation to maintain up to 80% tree cover on their land. Also, legislation has been proposed to allow an amnesty for those who have deforested. Ministerial appointments have been made which include individuals opposed to climate change and environmental action. The powers of the Ministry of the Environment have been weakened and certain senior positions replaced. Most recently, in June over 340 civil society organisations produced a joint letter to the EU authorities, expressing alarm over the devastating impacts the agreement will have on forests, indigenous peoples’ rights, climate change and small-scale farmers and have urged the EU to halt the negotiations with Mercosur due to these concerns.

This is not an exercise in simply condemning Brazil. Certain Brazilian states have committed to fulfilling the country’s Paris Agreement commitments. Previous Brazilian Governments have also been strong supporters of climate action. We need to focus on the strategy and priorities of this Government and the EU in negotiating this deal.

President Junker and Commissioner Hogan have emphasised that the trade deal includes a provision that the Paris Agreement will be “effectively implemented” and that the Mercosur countries have made specific climate pledges, including on afforestation. However, it is completely clear that even if Brazil has not officially left the Paris Agreement, effective implementation is not taking place. The deal lacks adequate enforcement mechanisms and proper safeguards to ensure forests will be protected and rights respected.

The Government needs to rethink entirely its approach if it is serious about meeting its sustainability objectives in agriculture. This is relevant to the issue of EU leadership on climate change but also Ireland’s campaign for UN Security Council membership where the Government has put much emphasis on climate action.

Fianna Fáil is calling for a new impact assessment of the Mercosur deal on Ireland. At EU level we also need an analysis of the deal’s potential environmental impacts based on up-to-date scenarios. It should be backed by guarantees that no Brazilian products sold in the European Union will lead to increases in deforestation, land grabbing of native lands or human rights violations and confirmation backed by clear evidence that the Brazilian Government is actively taking progressive steps to fulfil its Paris Agreement commitments.

The Mercosur deal is a litmus test of the European Union’s commitment to global climate action. The Government must ensure rigorous enforcement of international obligations and an end to deforestation. We need a fair trade policy that includes global compliance with environmental and social standards. Ultimately, a failure to prioritise respect for climate and environmental obligations will hurt Irish farmers and undermines both Ireland's and the European Union’s international standing.

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