Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his very significant contribution to COP27 alongside the Taoiseach. Most importantly, however, I thank the civil servants who played a very significant role in getting this historic agreement over the line. It seems like every Conference of the Parties has a historic agreement. The importance of delivery is not lost on the Minister or, indeed, the Department.

Despite several urgent crises developing across the world, COP27 saw no diminution of the Paris Agreement, which is crucial in our collective global efforts to reduce our carbon emissions. As has been said on multiple occasions, every country needs to play its part in this process of not just hitting our targets or the notional targets of others for 2030 but also those of the Paris Agreement.

Historic commitments to develop a loss and damage fund have been agreed in order to address the unfolding climate impacts on developing countries and is extremely important. I welcome it wholeheartedly. Of course, we are left with the very real need to develop tangible benefits for those countries affected the most and to ensure there is no backsliding in years to come on the part of other wealthy nations. I am confident that this country will not do so but I am not so confident about quite a number of others in terms of what we must do to try to achieve these targets to mitigate against the use of the fund in the first place.

A new green renewable hydrogen forum has also been launched with an aim of enhancing investment in green renewable hydrogen. Of course, here, we remain in need of a clear hydrogen strategy. We know this technology will play a very significant role on the coming decades, particularly with regard to the storage of energy. By acting now, we can prepare ourselves for an energy infrastructure to incorporate this new method of storage into use in Ireland.

I would like to draw attention to the figures that were published by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, today, however, which show that Ireland is well below the European average for expenditure on research and development. While it is not specifically the Minister's Department, it should set concerning alarm bells ringing regarding the sorts of research and development that we perhaps could and should be instigating here, particularly with regard to battery storage and offshore wind technology, which will undoubtedly play a very significant role in this jurisdiction in the coming years. To see that we have fallen behind in research and development in comparison to our European counterparts is of concern. I ask the Minister perhaps to throw an eye over that to see what his Department can do in conjunction with his Cabinet colleagues.

The European Union has committed to a €1 billion fund for climate adaptation in Africa, including early warning systems, internal climate adaption programmes and new risk and insurance systems. These are all to be welcomed but again, achieving the targets that have been set at previous Conferences of the Parties and by the Paris climate agreement is of paramount importance.

As the Minister will know, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, in conjunction with the ESRI, published a report yesterday regarding the attitudes and behaviours of young people in Ireland with regard to climate change. In fact, representatives from the ESRI appeared before the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action this morning for a fascinating discussion on views held by young people. The vast majority of those views are not a surprise to the vast majority of Members of this House, particularly by those who are paying attention. It showed a massive ambition on the part of young people. Deputy Higgins mentioned school tours. It is always the first subject they want to talk about alongside housing. They always want to talk about climate. As was highlighted today, we do not need a specific curriculum within our education system to teach children about climate change and the importance of climate action. They know it already. This study on the part of the ESRI in conjunction with the EPA shows that our children - the next generation - and the 18 to 24-year-olds who were surveyed know exactly what is required. They know that massive sacrifices will be required on the part of every economy across the country and every citizen within those economies. That is the point on which I wish to conclude. We must recognise, if anybody is uncertain, that we must make changes to our lifestyles because if we do not, we will not hit our targets. Missing those targets will, ultimately, cost lives.

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