Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not doubt for a minute that the Minister is sincere in what he seeks to do in terms of leading this agenda. However, as a member of the Joint Committee on Action and one of the people who contributed to producing the 42 recommendations that were broadly agreed by its members on a cross-party basis, I am fearful that a tension is emerging between the radical nature of some of the recommendations we made and where the Government sits in terms of its implementation plan. I am fearful that there is a gap between the climate action plan actions and the joint committee, which is a committee of this House consisting of representatives of all parties and none, and that a tension is emerging between the two. The committee's report reflected the report of the Citizens' Assembly, which was radical in its actions but based on common sense and easily attainable targets. I worry, however, that those targets will not be reached. I hope the Minister continues to engage with the committee about how its recommendations, coupled with the Government's set of recommendations in the climate action plan, can be brought about.

In chapter 1 of the committee's report, we spoke about the need for a new national framework where new climate change legislation would be enacted in the Oireachtas in 2019 and about how, with regard to new governance structure, action on climate action should be considered a priority activity across all of Government. We also recommended the establishment of a new climate action council to supersede the Climate Change Advisory Council and the establishment of a standing committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Minister spoke to those issues but the committee set targets. I understand that there may be differences of emphasis between what the Government will do and what we have recommended but targets need to be achieved. I fear that we are pushing actions out in this country to 2020, 2021 and 2022 and that, as every quarter goes by, we miss opportunities for real action. I appreciate that the Minister has attended town hall meetings, including one in Limerick where he announced that some of the actions in the climate action plan that would be undertaken included a new micro-generation scheme, a transition towards 1 million electric vehicles and a nationwide programme of home retrofitting. I have no doubt that these objectives will be achieved but I fear that they will not be achieved in a timely fashion or even in the manner set out in the targets driven by the Joint Committee on Climate Action. We have very clear targets relating to ensuring the five-yearly carbon budgets. This would all be included in the legislation that was to be agreed in 2019. We also set targets by which the renewable share of electricity generation would reach at least 70% by 2030 and the statutory obligation on public bodies would be strengthened to require that they perform their functions in a manner consistent with the 2050 target. We need these targets to be set out in very clear legislative terms because the actions that are so vital will flow from this.

Transport is one of the key thematic areas on which we need action.

In the context of the target of 1 million electric vehicles by 2030, if one looks at consumer behaviour and analyses of where people stand regarding the switch towards such vehicles in 2019, one finds that there are not enough charging points. The totemic image which emerged over the summer, purporting to show the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport charging his vehicle at a point that had not gone live, was most detrimental. It did nothing to create the perception that the Government is doing anything in real terms to meet targets or install charging points throughout the country. That is the first aspect.

There are targets calling for a move from internal combustion engines to fully electric vehicles by 2030. Consumers are looking at the price points for these vehicles. They may be willing to make that transition, but the price points are still too high. Range anxiety is still a massive issue because there are too few charging points. The kernel of this issue is behavioural change. If we are to hit targets by 2030 and 2050 and if climate action is to mean anything, then this all has to be about behavioural change. It is fair to say that no rational person will move from vehicle that runs on petrol or diesel if the price point for an electric vehicle is too high - beyond the means of most people in this country - or if there are not enough charging points. That is why I must go back to the point I made at the outset about the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Climate Action. Those targets are tangible and real. They must drive behaviour across the Civil Service, among all the stakeholders and across Government to ensure we hit those targets in a meaningful way.

I hear the messages from the younger generation about where we need to go on climate action. There is a massive demand for behavioural change and radicalism in Government. Younger people do not necessarily look at this as a governmental task. They are looking to all politicians in this House to act together in a non-partisan way in order to drive the change that is needed. The Minister referred to community ownership of electricity and driving the grid with community-based projects. I am concerned that we could be here this time next year without having made solid progress towards the democratisation of the production of energy, which would facilitate rural communities in particular to become involved in projects supplying electricity to the grid. We need action on that and we need it now. I am fearful that if it is left too much to the committees, we will not see the radical action that is necessary in a timely fashion.

I am glad that there is a Bill due before the House later that deals with just transition. The number of emails I have received calling on us to support this legislation has been phenomenal. There is a mood among our citizens now. They want to see workers and stakeholders coming together to ensure that people in carbon-intensive industries can transition into net zero-carbon industries. Again, I am fearful that we will allow another three quarters or a full year to go by before we do anything tangible to set up a national infrastructure with teeth that can drive that behaviour. Instead of talking within this little bubble, we must engage with the stakeholders who will drive that just transition to take carbon out of this economy and our society.

I want to be supportive of what the Minister and the Government are doing. However, I am fearful that the targets set in the Oireachtas committee report are already being missed. We are heading towards the end of 2019. Among those 42 recommendations were clear targets to be met by the end of this year. I am fearful that there will be too much slippage. We need radical action and clear targets so that people can get behind those targets and drive them on.

See this speech in context