Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Does the IEA believe that gas is a clean fuel? Mr. Gould seems to hint that natural gas can play a role in this transition to clean fuel. If so, can he explain scientifically why he says that? For an international agency the perspective he gives us is not very global because he seems to argue that there is a role for further exploration and development of oil and gas, yet science acknowledges that at least 80% of all fossil fuels on the planet should remain in the ground if we are to reach the Paris goals.

If Mr. Gould is starting from the Paris Agreement surely he should look forward instead of backwards and starting by asking how we get to what the agreement demands. He does not tell us in his reports how much the planet will overheat if we follow what he says is necessary, what degree it will reach or where we will be in respect of the agreement, apart from saying that we have a 50:50 chance of meeting the targets. He would not get on a plane if he thought it had a 50% chance of crashing.

A little bit more needs to come from what is called the International Energy Agency. Without wishing to insult any of the witnesses and the work they do, I believe their work is heavily influenced by the oil and gas industry and that it is not fitting for the IEA to be the advisory body in a world that is trying to meet the Paris targets. It should be weighted much more heavily towards renewable and clean energy. One committee member, who has left the meeting, asked about carbon capture and storage. Could Mr. Gould give us information on that because we are far from being able to achieve it and if we cannot achieve it will. we not have to cut our emissions further and faster?