Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 10:

In page 6, to delete lines 26 to 30 and substitute the following: “ ‘climate justice’ is the concept that those individuals, corporations and societies that have contributed most to the problem of global warming must contribute most to its solution; this concept has four core principles, as follows:

(a) in accord with the commitment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, those individuals, bodies and countries which have contributed most to global warming must pay to protect poorer individuals, bodies and countries from its negative effects, and must also play the biggest part in halting and reversing anthropogenic climate change;

(b) measures to counter global warming due to human activities, and its negative effects, must decrease inequalities whenever possible, and must never increase them;

(c) the move towards net zero Irish greenhouse gas emissions should be a just transition, meaning that action is taken in a way which—

(i) supports environmentally and socially sustainable jobs,

(ii) supports low-carbon investment and infrastructure,

(iii) develops and maintains social consensus through engagement with workers, trade unions, communities, non-governmental organisations, representatives of the interests of business and industry and such other persons as the Minister considers appropriate,

(iv) creates decent, fair and high-value work in a way which does not negatively affect the current workforce and overall economy,

(v) contributes to resource efficient and sustainable economic approaches which help to address inequality and poverty, and

(vi) assists those whose livelihoods are affected adversely by the transition to a low-carbon economy to take up other work and to at least maintain their current income levels;

(d) the planning of responses to climate change should involve the greatest possible levels of public participation, including the participation of those who are most affected by climate change and of those who are most excluded economically, socially and politically;”.

The purpose of this amendment is to broaden the definition of climate justice issues in the Bill, particularly where it is stated that climate justice shall "adapt to the effects of climate change ... in so far as it is practicable to do so". That is a catch-all get-out clause for the Department to ensure that it will not meet many of the targets because it will not be practicable to do so. We need to get away from that type of language in giving outs in the context of what can happen.

The amendment creates a definition of what is happening in just transition and why it is important. Everybody recognises that this Bill is vitally important and just transition is an important part of how we address climate change to ensure that it is reflective of everybody's needs. There is no point in having the people who are least in a position to deal with the effects of climate change being the ones who carry all the costs as well. There is a real danger of that happening in any society. This is important and I ask the Minister to give it serious consideration. In particular, it is vitally important to take that language of "in so far as it is practicable to do so" out of the Bill because it is not necessary at all.